Memorandum Opinion and Order

Pending before the court is the plaintiffs’ Motion for Class Certification [Docket 188].  The plaintiffs seek certification of a class of people allegedly harmed by C-8 contamination of their drinking water supply.  The plaintiffs have presented compelling evidence that exposure to C-8 may be harmful to human health, and the evidence certainly justifies the concerns expressed by the plaintiffs in this case.   What the plaintiffs misunderstand, however, is what they must show in order for me to certify the class.  I cannot certify a class based on some potential harm to the general public, rather, there must be specific injuries to each member of the proposed class.  The fact that a public health risk may exist is more than enough to raise concern in the community and call government agencies to action, but it does not show the common individual injuries needed to certify a class action.  For the reasons set forth below, this court FINDS that the proposed class does not satisfy Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.  The motion is DENIED.