>>> SO THIS IS A COAL-FIRED POWER PLANT IN BELMONT, NORTH
CAROLINA.
CAROLINA. IT’S CALLED THE ALLEN STEAM
STATION AND IT IS RUN BY THE
DUKE ENERGY CORPORATION.
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH RUNNING
A COAL-FIRE POWER PLANT LIKE
ALLEN, I MEAN, DON’T GET ME
STARTED.
STARTED. THERE ARE A LOT OF PROBLEMS.
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS THAT
AFTER YOU BURN THE COAL TO FUEL
THIS PLANT, IT PRODUCES
LEFTOVERS.
LEFTOVERS. AND THE LEFTOVERS AFTER YOU BURN
COAL IS SOMETHING CALLED COAL
ASH.
ASH. FROM A PLANT LIKE THIS, THE
LEFTOVER COAL ASH IS VOLUMINOUS,
ATLAS TON OF IT, AND IT IS
DANGEROUS.
DANGEROUS. IT’S TOXINS AND HEAVY METALS
LIKE ARSENIC, KNOWN CARCINOGENS.
DUKE SELLS THAT MARVELOUS STUFF
IN PITS LIKE THESE, BASICALLY
MAN-MADE LITTLE PONDS DESIGNED
TO HOLD ALL OF THIS TOXIC SLUDGE
FROM THE COAL-BURNING POWER
PLANTS.
PLANTS. OFTENTIMES THOSE PITS AREN’T
EVEN LINED, WHICH MEANS THERE’S
AN INCREASED CHANCE THAT THE
TOXIC MATERIALS FROM THE COAL
ASH WILL LEAK INTO NOT JUST THE
GROUND, BUT INTO THE LOCAL
GROUND WATER.
GROUND WATER. AND THAT’S WHAT MANY PEOPLE
BELIEVE HAPPENED IN AREAS
SURROUNDING DUKE ENERGY’S MANY
COAL-FIRE POWER PLANTS,
INCLUDING THOSE IN NORTH
CAROLINA, POWER PLANTS LIKE THE
ALLEN STEAM STATION.
IN APRIL 2015, NORTH CAROLINA
OFFICIALS ISSUED LETTERS TO
PEOPLE WHO OWNED WELLS, 330
WELLS THAT WERE NEAR THE STATE’S
COAL-BURNING PLANTS, AND THOSE
LETTERS NOTIFIED THOSE PEOPLE
THAT THEIR WELL WATER WAS
CONTAMINATED.
CONTAMINATED. WELLS SHOWED US CARCINOGEN
LEVELS HIGHER THAN THE STATE’S
WARNING LEVEL.
WARNING LEVEL. YOU WERE AT RISK OF GETTING
CANCER IF YOU DRANK FROM THAT
CONTAMINATED WATER.
CONTAMINATED WATER. THAT WAS THE NOTICE THEY GOT
FROM THE STATE IN APRIL 2015.
BUT WITHIN A COUPLE OF MONTHS,
BY JULY OF THAT SAME YEAR,
SOMETHING INTERESTING HAPPENED
IN NORTH CAROLINA.
THE GOVERNOR OF NORTH CAROLINA
AT THE TIME WAS A LONGTIME DUKE
ENERGY EXECUTIVE AND A
REPUBLICAN, A GUY BY THE NAME OF
PAT McCRORY, AND HE HIRED THIS
MAN, A NEW STATE HEALTH
DIRECTOR, RANDALL WILLIAMS.
ALTHOUGH WILLIAMS DID NOT
CONDUCT ANY NEW TESTING OF
GROUND WATER OR THESE WELLS NEAR
COAL ASH PITS AND ALL THIS
STUFF, DESPITE THE FACT THAT HE
CONDUCTED NO NEW SCIENTIFIC
INQUIRY ON THE SUBJECT, THE NEW
STATE HEALTH DIRECTOR DECIDED
NOT LONG AFTER HE STARTED AT HIS
NEW JOB, HE DECIDED THAT THE
STATE HAD BEEN NOT THINKING
CLEARLY WHEN IT SENT OUT THOSE
DO NOT DRINK ORDERS, WHEN IT
DECLARED DIRECTOR OF
THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, HE
DECIDED TO RESCIND THOSE ORDERS.
REMEMBER THAT DO NOT DRINK ORDER
YOU GOT ABOUT THE CONTAMINATION
IN YOUR WELL?
NEVER MIND.
NEVER MIND. NEVER MIND THAT.
I’M THE NEW HEALTH DIRECTOR.
I SAY IT’S FINE.
THE STORY DID NOT GO AWAY AS
QUIETLY AS DR. WILLIAMS MIGHT
HAVE HOPED.
HAVE HOPED. IN A LAWSUIT LATER FILED AGAINST
BE DUKE ENERGY, THE STATE’S
TOXICOLOGIST, A GUY BY THE NAME
OF KENNETH RUDO, TESTIFIED THAT
STATE OFFICIALS KNOWINGLY TOLD
PEOPLE THAT THEIR WATER WAS SAFE
WHEN WE KNEW IT WASN’T.
RUDO HAD BEEN THE STATE’S
TOXICOLOGIST FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS
AND HE BLEW THE WHISTLE ON THIS
SPECIFICALLY CALLING OUT THE NEW
HEALTH DIRECTOR, DR. RANDALL
WILLIAMS IN THIS 220-PAGE
DEPOSITION SAYING THE STATE’S
HEALTH DIRECTOR WAS TO PROTECT
PUBLIC HEALTH BUT IN THIS SPEC
INSTANCE, THE OPPOSITE OCCURRED.
THE STATE TOXKOLS CALLED THE
REVERSAL OF THE DO NOT DRINK
ADVISORY "HIGHLY UNETHICAL AND
POSSIBLY ILLEGAL."
POSSIBLY ILLEGAL." THE FOLLOWING MONTH, HIS BOSS,
THE STATE’S EP DEEM OLS,
RESIGNED IN PROTEST SAYING SHE
COULD NO LONGER WORK FOR A
HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND AN
ADMINISTRATION AND A NEW STATE
HEALTH DIRECTOR THAT
"DELIBERATELY WAS MISLEADING THE
PUBLIC."
PUBLIC." SO STATE TOXICOLOGIST BLOWINGEN
THE WHISTLE ON WHAT’S GOING ON
HERE.
HERE. STATE EPIDEMIOLOGIST SENDS THIS
BLISTERING RESIGNATION LETTER
HOW THE PUBLIC IS BEING MISLED,
THIS IS WRONG, THIS IS UNSAFE.
THEY’RE SAYING THIS POSSIBLY
ILLEGAL.
ILLEGAL. BUT THE NEW STATE HEALTH
DIRECTOR, DR. RANDALL HAD A JOB
TO DO AND HE MAINTAINED THAT THE
EVEN DEEMOLOGISTS AND
TOXICOLOGISTS THESE PEOPLE WERE
NUTS.
NUTS. HE WAS SURE THE WELL WATER WAS
SAFE TO DRINK.
WHY IS EVERYBODY BEING SO
HYSTERICAL.
HYSTERICAL. DR. RANDALL WILLIAMS ENDED UP
TESTIFYING IN THE RESULTING
CONTROVERSY THAT HE RESCINDED
THE DO NOT DRINK WARNING NOTICED
BECAUSE HE THOUGHT THAT THEY
WERE STIRRING UP UNWARRANTED
FEARS.
FEARS. GETTING PEOPLE ALL FREAKED HOW
THE ABOUT SAFETY ISSUES WHERE
PLAINLY THERE IS NOTHING TO
WORRY ABOUT AS FAR AS HE’S
CONCERNED.
CONCERNED. DR. RANDALL WILLIAMS LASTED
ABOUT 18 MONTHS IN THAT JOB.
THE ONE THING HE’S REMEMBERED
FOR IN HIS SHORT STINT RUNNING
ARE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IN THE
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA HIRED BY
THE DUKE ENERGY EXECUTIVE WHO
WAS GOVERNOR AT THE TIME, THE
ONE THING HE’S REMEMBERED FOR IS
HIS DECISION TO RESCIND THE DO
NOT DRINK THE WATER ORDERS.
YOU KNOW?
YOU KNOW? AND ALL OF THE FALLOUT.
THE STATE EPIDEMIOLOGIST, THE
STATE TOXICOLOGIST ANNOUNCING
THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WAS
LYING TO THE PUBLIC AND TELLING
THEM THEIR WATER WAS SAFE WHEN
IT WAS NOT.
THAT’S THE SCANDAL THAT HE
CREATED IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD
OF TIME RUNNING THE STATE HEALTH
DEPARTMENT IN NORTH CAROLINA.
THAT’S WHAT HE DID IN HIS YEAR
AND A HALF AS THE STATE HEALTH
DIRECTOR IN NORTH CAROLINA.
WHOO, AND THEN HE WAS OUT.
BUT THEN HE GOT A NEW JOB.
MAY HAVE BEEN SORT OF A SCRATCH
AND DENT SALE KIND OF THING BUT
FOR WHATEVER REASON, RIGHT AFTER
THAT DEBACLE IN NORTH CAROLINA,
THE NEW REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR OF
MISSOURI DECIDED TO HIRE HIM TO
COME UP TO MISSOURI AND BECOME
THAT STATE’S NEW HEALTH
DIRECTOR.
DIRECTOR. HE WAS APPOINTED BY THE STATE’S
REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR BEFORE THAT
GOVERNOR ULTIMATELY HAD TO
RESIGN IN A BIG SPOOKY SCANDAL
BUT HE WAS CONFIRMED BY THE
STATE’S REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURE.
AND IT IS THIS SAME GUY
DR. RANDALL WILLIAMS WHO IS NOW
THE MAN WHO IS SHUTTING DOWN
MISSOURI’S LAST REMAINING
ABORTION PROVIDER IN THE WHOA
STATE.
STATE. AND IT IS HE THIS GUY, WHO HAS
INSISTED HIMSELF THAT AS THAT
LAST CLINIC FIGHTS TO STAY OPEN
AND HE IS FIGHTING TO SHUT THEM
DOWN, IT IS HE WHO HAS DECIDED
THAT THE DOCTORS IN THAT CLINIC
MUST NOW MAKE THEIR PATIENTS GET
UNNECESSARY INTERNAL PELVIC
EXAMS WHEN THEY ASK FOR AN
ABORTION.
ABORTION. ON HIS ORDERS.
REPUBLICAN-CONTROLLED STATES ARE
OF COURSE, TRYING TO BAN
ABORTION ALL OVER THE COUNTRY
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. THEY ALL WANT TO GET THEIR
STATE’S ABORTION BAN BEFORE THE
SUPREME COURT BECAUSE THEY ALL
THINK WITH JUSTICE BRETT
KAVANAUGH ON THE COURT NOW, THE
COURT WILL OVERTURN ROE VERSUS
WADE.
WADE. THEY ALL WANT THEIR STATE TO BE
FIRST TO MAKE ABORTION ILLEGAL.
THAT’S WHAT’S GOING ON IN
MISSOURI, TOO.
MISSOURI, TOO. THEY’VE GOT THEIR REPUBLICAN
LEGISLATURE AND NEW REPUBLICAN
GOVERNOR REPLACING THE OLD ONE
WHO LEFT IN SCANDAL.
IT THE NEW ONE IS MIKE PARSON.
NOW TODAY THE REPUBLICANS IN
MISSOURI STATE GOVERNMENT ARE
TAKING FURTHER ACTION TO STOP
MISSOURI VOTERS FROM GETTING TO
HAVE A SAY ON WHETHER OR NOT
THAT ABORTION BAN WILL GO INTO
EFFECT EFFECT.
EFFECT EFFECT. WHAT’S HAPPENING IN MISSOURI IN
SOME WAYS PARALLELS WHAT’S GOING
ON IN ALL THESE OTHER REPUBLICAN
CONTROLLED STATES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. THEY’RE ALL TRYING TO BAN
ABORTION.
ABORTION. THERE IS ONE ASPECT OF THE FIGHT
GOING ON IN MISSOURI THAT IS
DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT. WHICH IS THE ACTIVE AND VERY
CLOSE TO SUCCESSFUL EFFORT RIGHT
NOW BY THAT STATE GOVERNMENT TO
SHUT DOWN THE LAST CLINIC IN THE
STATE THAT IS STILL ALLOWED TO
PROVIDE ABORTIONS.
PROVIDE ABORTIONS. IN THE LAST CLINIC IN THE ENTIRE
STATE OF MISSOURI.
AND IT IS A CRUCIAL THING TO
UNDERSTAND HERE THAT THE STATE
IS NOT USING A NEW LAW TO TRY TO
SHUT KOUN MISSOURI’S LAST
ABORTION PROVIDER.
ABORTION PROVIDER. THIS IS NOT PART OF THE ABORTION
BAN THEY JUST PASSED WHICH IS
GOING TO BE TESTED BY THE
FEDERAL COURTS NOW.
THEY’RE NOT USING THE
LEGISLATURE TO REVOKE THE LAST
PLANNED PARENTHOOD CLINIC’S
LICENSE TO PERFORM LEGAL
ABORTION.
ABORTION. WHAT THEY ARE DOING AS THEY TRY
TO STOP THE LAST PLACE IN
MISSOURI WHERE A WOMAN CAN GET A
LEGAL ABORTION, WHAT THEY’RE
EMPLOYING TO TRY TO DO THAT IS
THEY’RE USING THIS GUY,
DR. RANDALL WILLIAMS, MR. DRINK
THE CANCER WATER.
HE’S THE ONE WHO IS SELECTIVELY
ENFORCING STATE REGULATIONS
NEWLY AS OF THIS WEEK TO TRY AND
GET ABORTIONS SHUT DOWN IN
MISSOURI.
MISSOURI. HE IS THE ONE SPECIFICALLY WHO
LIT ON THIS IDEA TO FORCE
MISSOURI WOMEN WHO STILL WANT TO
GO TO THAT LAST CLINICING TO
HAVING AN UNNECESSARY INVASIVE
MEDICALLY POINTLESS PELVIC EXAM
AS THE NEW PRICE OF ASKING FOR
AN ABORTION AT THAT THE LAST
CLINIC.
CLINIC. AS OF THIS PAST WEEK, HE IS THE
ONE REQUIRING DOCTORS IN THAT
CLINIC THAT THEY MUST DO THAT TO
THEIR PATIENTS.
THEIR PATIENTS. FRESH OFF HIS LAST JOB MAKING
NATIONAL NEWS FOR RESCINDING THE
DO NOT DRINK THE WATER NOTICED
AROUND THE CANCER CAUSING COLE
COAL ASH PITS IN NORTH CAROLINA,
DR. RANDALL WILLIAMS SAYS THE
REASON HE IS FIGHTING SO HARD TO
SHUT DOWN THE LAST ABORTION
CLINIC IN MISSOURI IS BECAUSE OF
HIS GRAVE, GRAVE OVERRIDING
CONCERN FOR PATIENT SAFETY ABOVE
ALL ELSE.
ALL ELSE. >> WHAT ALL US MORIANS EXPECT ME
TO DO IN A REGULATORY FASHION IS
TO ENFORCE THE LAW, ENFORCE THE
REGULATIONS AND KEEP PEOPLE
SAFE.
SAFE. IT’S JUST OUR GOAL THAT IT BE
DONE IN A SAFE WAY.
>> OUR PURPOSE IN ALL OF THOSE
IS TO PROTECT HEALTH, KEEP
PEOPLE SAFE.
PEOPLE SAFE. WE CAN NEVER SACRIFICE SAFETY
FOR THAT ACCESS.
WE JUST CAN NEVER SACRIFICE
SAFETY FOR THAT.
WE CAN NEVER DO THAT AT THE
EXPENSE OF SAFETY.
AS I’VE TESTIFIED IN COURT FIVE
TYPES NOW IS THAT WE CAN NEVER
SACRIFICE SAFETY FOR ACCESS.
WE HAVE TO HAVE BOTH.
>> WE CANNOT SACRIFICE SAFETY
SAYS RANDALL WILLIAMS.
ONE OF THE PRODUCERS OF THE SHOW
WAS AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE WITH
THE STATE’S HEALTH DIRECTOR AND
ASKED WILLIAMS WHETHER SHUTTING
DOWN THE LAST APPORTION PROVIDER
IN THE STATE MIGHT ACTUALLY LEAD
TO AN UNSAFE SITUATION IN THE
STATE WHETHER IT MIGHT ACTUALLY
LEAD TO A RISE IN WOMEN SEEKING
ILLEGAL ABORTIONS IF HE SUCCEEDS
IN GETTING RID OF THE LAST LEGAL
ABORTION PROVIDER IN THE ENTIRE
STATE OF MISSOURI.
I MEAN, SINCE HE’S THE GUY WHO
IS REALLY SUPERWORRIED ABOUT
WOMEN’S SAFETY, IS HE AT ALL
CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
>> ARE YOU WORRIED THAT THE LACK
OF ACCESS WILL JEOPARDIZE
WOMEN’S SAFETY BECAUSE THEY’RE
PURSUE ILLEGAL ABORTIONS?
>> I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT BE TRUE
THAT YOU SEE AN INCREASE IN
ILLEGAL ABORTIONS.
ILLEGAL ABORTIONS. >> I’M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THAT AT
ALL.
ALL. IF DR. RANDALL WILLIAMS
SUCCEEDS, IF HE GETS THE LAST
ABORTION PROVIDER IN MISSOURI
SHUT DOWN, WE’RE WAITING ON A
JUNE’S RULING RIGHT NOW TO FIND
OUT IF HE’S SUCCEEDING IN THAT,
IF HE SUCCEEDS, MISSOURI WILL BE
THE FIRST STATE IN THE COUNTRY
TO GO DARK IN TERMS OF ACCESS TO
LEGAL ABORTION SINCE THE PASSAGE
OF ROE VERSUS WADE IN 1973.
BUT HE REALLY DOES NOT MIND
THAT.
THAT. YOU KNOW, BIG WHOOP.
>> MISSOURI IS CONTIGUOUS TO
EIGHT STATES.
EIGHT STATES. WE IN TENNESSEE SHARE THAT
DISTINCTION.
DISTINCTION. IDEA WE ARE A DESERT FOR ANY
TYPE OF HEALTH CARE IS ONE THAT
ALREADY DOESN’T RING TRUE.
I’M SURE THAT THERE ARE MANY
PEOPLE FROM ALL EIGHT OF THOSE
STATES WHO COME TO OUR WONDERFUL
HEALTH CARE CENTERS IN ST. LOUIS
AND SPRINGFIELD AND KANSAS CITY
ALL THE TIME.
SO PEOPLE CROSSING THE STATE
LINES TO GET HEALTH CARE IS NOT
AN UNUSUAL FACTOR.
>> BUT IF ABORTION -- YOU’RE
SAYING THERE’S A HUGE BARRIER
THAT’S AVERRED.
THAT’S AVERRED. MANY PEOPLE IN RURAL AREAS TO
GET SERVICES OUTSIDE OF THE
STATE THAT HAVE TO DRIVE HOURS
TO GET CHILD CARE.
>> AGAIN, I BELIEVE THAT THERE
ARE FACILITIES IN ILLINOIS THAT
ARE 12 MICE FROM HER.
>> FROM HERE BUT NOT FROM PARTS
OF RURAL MISSOURI.
>> EXACTLY.
>> EXACTLY. ONCE AGAIN, IT GETS BACK TO THE
POINT THAT I MADE EARLIER THAT
ACCESS IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
WE CAN NEVER SACRIFICE SAFETY
FOR THAT ACCESS.
>> WE ARE WAITING FOR A JUDGE TO
MAKE A DECISION ANY DAY NOW.
ANYTIME NOW AS TO WHETHER OR NOT
THE LAST CLINIC IN MISSOURI WILL
BE ALLOWED TO KEEP ITS DOORS
OPEN TO WOMEN IN THAT STATE EVEN
THE ONE WHO HAVE TO TRAVERSE THE
ENTIRE LARGE STATE IN ORDER TO
GET THERE.
GET THERE. BUT MEANWHILE, ANY WOMAN WHO
MAKES IT THERE WILL HAVE TO TAKE
OFF HER CLOTHES AND SUBMIT TO AN
UNNECESSARY MANDATORY VAGINAL
EXAM.
EXAM. DESPITE HER WISHES, HER DOCTOR’S
WISHES.
WISHES. THAT’S HIS WISHES AS STATE
DIRECTOR.