So she said, you know what?

You need your stick-to-itiveness.

It's a noun.

A propensity to follow through in a determined manner, dogged persistence born of obligation and stubbornness.

Inspirational words from Erin Brockovich.

Hi, I'm At Issue host Dana Haynes.

The renowned environmental activist, visited Spokane in May for the Give Like a Woman gala.

I sat down with Brockovich ahead of her keynote speech to get her advice for West Plains residents grappling with the PFAS water contamination, and how the word stick-to-itiveness can help all of us stand up and make a difference.

I love that you say there's a word that your mom said to you when you were young.

[Erin] Stick-to-itiveness.

[Dana] Stick-to-itiveness.

How do you use that word?

I'm a dyslexic.

So very early on in my life, I was quickly put into a box.

And I learned very quickly from a school teacher, from my mom, on how I punched out of that.

And my mom, she came home one day, I had another F, I was feeling bad about myself and she said, Oh, you know Erin, when the going gets tough, the tough gets going.

So she said, you know what?

You need your stick-to-itiveness.

[Laughs] What the?

What?

[Dana] Did you just make up a word?

What are you takin?

That's what I thought!

She left the room and came back to Webster's dictionary.

She read me the definition.

It's a noun.

A propensity to follow through in a determined manner, dogged persistence born of obligation and stubbornness.

And I was like, oh, ding ding ding!

I am stubborn as they come, I am dogged, I mean, I can just turn my senses on and stay with it.

And we're not born with stick-to-itiveness.

You have to develop the habit of persevering even when you don't want to.

And it would be easier to give up.

Never give up.

Keep going.

Your book, Superman is Not Coming.

Doesn't just say that water and water quality is one of the issues facing us as humans.

You actually say it is the number one issue facing all of us.

I think we forget we are water.

And yet I worry we take it for granted or we disrespect it, or we think it will always be there.

And that may not be the case.

If you were to walk into one of our West Plains Water Coalition meetings and talk to those leaders.

What advice would you give them?

This is about your community.

This is about the people that you provide water to.

You need to listen to them.

And I think municipalities you need to let the very people who are being impacted have a seat at that table.

You might be shocked at a solution they could offer you that would make a difference.

It reminds me when I began my work in Hinkley and everybody would ask me, are you a doctor?

And I'm like, no.

Like, you're a scientist?

No.

They were like, searching for something.

Why are you here and why would you know anything?

And I was gobsmacked because it never dawned on me.

I don't have to be any of that to be a human that has a heart, that has instincts, that can look at the 2-headed frogs in green water and tell you that's wrong.

And so communities need to get back to that, sense of who they are, a reconnection to the earth, reconnection to your community, and don't let anyone ever tell you, you know, that's just crazy.

You know, I've seen green water and everyone's like, that's normal.

I'm like, no, it's not!

It's not normal!

At Issue from KSPS PBS is committed to keeping you informed about the local PFAS water contamination.

Watch our report, Forever Chemicals on the West Plains, and stay up to date with podcast interviews and news articles at KSPS.org.