"I was surprised by the reactions I heard from some people I'd told about the study before the stories came out," she added. "It was like they didn't really hear how bad it was until they actually read the story, then they were shocked and apologetic. I heard a lot of, 'Oh my God, I'm so sorry this is happening to your family.'"
Bower-Bjornson also said she sent the series to members of her family, who reacted differently depending on their political views.
"I think the hardest part for me was that most of the family members I sent it to didn't really acknowledge it," she said. "I know darn well that some of them didn't even read the whole thing, which was disheartening. You'd expect people who are close to you to at least be willing to read your story… but all in all the responses I did get were really positive, and I didn't hear anyone say anything like, 'Oh that's not true.' People who didn't want to hear it just ignored it."
Worthington also said the reactions from some people in her family were disappointing.
"I have some very supportive relatives and I have some that have been very critical of us for speaking out about these issues," she said. "The unsupportive ones make lots of money working for the oil and gas industry and live in expensive homes and drive matching SUVs, so they're not going to change their minds. The supportive ones said, 'I'm so glad you got the story out.'"
Related: What do politicians have to say about 'Fractured?'
Gillian Graber lives further away from fracking wells than the Bower-Bjornsons, the Worthingtons, or the Latkaniches, but EHN's study found that she and her family were still being exposed to harmful chemicals. Graber said she shared the stories on social media but didn't send them directly to her family members.
"I'd be interested to see what my parents think of it," she said. "I think my mom would probably be really upset, but I don't think it would change her political views. It's funny how people can compartmentalize issues...I just want to tell her, 'if you don't think things like this should be happening, you're voting for the wrong people.' "
Ryan was nine years
old at the time of
the study, and one
of his urine samples contained a biomarker for benzene at a level more than 28 times
as high as that of
the average adult cigarette smoker. (Credit: Connor Mulvaney for Environmental
Health News)
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