—Documentary Thriller Investigates the Largest Chemical Drinking Water Contamination in a Generation—
In this unsetting exposé, investigative filmmaker Cullen Hoback travels to West Virginia to study the unprecedented loss of clean water for over 300,000 Americans.
Upon examination, he uncovers a shocking failure of regulation from both state and federal agencies and a damaged political system where chemical companies often write the laws that govern them.
While he’s deep into his research in West Virginia, a similar water crisis strikes Flint, Michigan, revealing that the entire system that Americans assume is protecting their drinking water is fundamentally broken.
“What Lies Upstream” premieres on INDEPENDENT LENS Monday, April 16, 2018 on PBS.
In January 2014, West Virginians noticed that their tap water had a peculiar smell.
It was soon discovered that a mysterious chemical, MCHM, has leaked into the Elk River from a damaged tank at a nearby chemical plant, poisoning the drinking water supply for nearly half of the state’s citizens.
Hoback — whose interest was piqued by family ties to the state and a desire to understand why the contamination happened — embarked on an investigation that would lead him down a rabbit hole of an unimaginable scale.
As Hoback continues his investigation, several leading players in the drama come forward including Randy Huffman, the head of the State’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Dr. Rahul Gupta, who runs the local health department, and several scientists, lobbyists, politicians, and industry insiders-turned-whistleblowers.
Disillusioned, Hoback travels to Flint, Michigan to see if there is a connection between the recent lead contamination there and the water contamination in West Virginia.
With the guidance of the key whistleblowers in Flint, Dr. Marc Edwards and Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the connection becomes clear: the regulatory agencies charged with protecting citizens are too often beholden to political interests over scientific facts.
“You may want to watch this documentary before you drink that glass of tap water,” said Lois Vossen, INDEPENDENT LENS executive producer. “In his quiet, earnest way, Cullen lifts a nonpartisan lid off state and federal regulatory agencies to show a persistent link between contaminated drinking water in West Virginia and government negligence and cover-ups and industry malpractice. We want to believe the people working inside our government agencies act in the best interest of ‘we the people.’ Regrettably, that’s not always the case.”
“an exemplary piece of advocacy filmmaking” —Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times
“damning” —Ben Kenigsberg, New York Times
“environmental horror film” —Matt Cohen, Washington City Paper
WATCH ON YOUR SCHEDULE:
This film will be available to stream on demand for a limited time after broadcast.
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CREDITS:
Director is Cullen Hoback. Producers: John Ramos, Cullen Hoback and Nitin Khanna. Executive Producers: Nitin Khanna, Karan Khanna, Jaswinder Grover and Jay Walia. Co-Producer: Alina Solodnikova. Writer: Cullen Hoback. Cinematographer: Vincent Sweeney. Editor: Cullen Hoback. Consulting Editors: Geoffrey Richman and Greg Finton. Composer: John Morgan Askew. Lois Vossen is executive producer for INDEPENDENT LENS.
