1) Urge state government officials to provide immediate relief, assistance, and transparency to the communities and individuals down the Cape Fear River with drinking water contaminated by GenX chemicals from the Nafion Vinyl Ethers plant southeast of Fayetteville.
2) Encourage the North Carolina General Assembly to shift funds from the NC DEQ to UNC system experts and researchers to provide the North Carolina DEQ with expert oversight, leadership training, strategic planning, technical assistance, management of databases, staff mentoring, and scientific support on complex environmental issues and government responsibilities.
3) Urge Governor Cooper [(919) 814-2000] to form an independent panel of experts to conduct a transparent review of the NC Title V inspection and permit program and the NC DEQ's handling of DuPont (Chemours) Fayetteville Works. An independent and transparent investigation will help identify how and why the DEQ Title V inspection and permit program failed and suggest reforms needed to prevent this from ever happening again.
4) Reform and modernize the NC DEQ Pollution Police Department. The Governor, the General Assembly, the Attorney General, citizen oversight groups, technical experts, and academic researchers should work together to implement significant and meaningful changes to reform and modernize the North Carolina DEQ and bring our state environmental agency into the 21st century.
Emily Donovan with Clean Cape Fear, Alliance of groups and citizens in impacted communities;
Beth Kline-Markesino with NC Stop GenX in our Water, Alliance of groups and citizens in impacted communities;
Dana Sargent with Cape Fear River Watch, Alliance of groups and citizens in impacted communities;
Hope Taylor with Clean Water for North Carolina, Alliance of groups and citizens in impacted communities;
Mike Watters with Grays Creek Residents United Against PFAS, Alliance of groups and citizens in impacted communities;
Prof. Larry Cahoon at UNC Wilmington, University researchers;
Prof. Jamie DeWitt at ECU, University researchers;
Prof. Lee Ferguson at Duke, University researchers; and
Prof. Detlef Knappe at NC State University, University researchers.
Jan. 26, 2021: Sascha Medina reports on drinking water with GenX, PFAS chemicals and public health concerns, DailyTarHeel.com.
Dec. 23, 2019: Seitz, Thomsen, and Golinsky discuss PFAS provisions in Defense Bill, BloombergEnvironment.com.
October 10, 2019: Adam Wagner reports on NCSU study showing very high PFAS levels in 2014-2015 Cape Fear water samples, The News & Observer website.
June 10, 2019: Vince Winkel reports on GenX two years later (Part 2), WHQR.org website.
May 31, 2019: Kirk Ross reports on senate budget and NC DEQ, Coastal Review.
May 31, 2019: Lisa Sorg reports on contaminated drinking water and state funding in NC, NC Policy Watch website.
May 30, 2019: Kirk Ross reports on proposed state funding for PFAS, Coastal Review.
May 8, 2019: Greg Barnes reports on new requirements for PFAS and 1,4-dioxane testing for Cape Fear River Basin, NC Health News website.
