In our opinion: PFAS - Nary a drop to drink

You would think politicians and the public could unite around the simple premise that everyone should have access to abundant supplies of clean, safe water. But the record shows years of poor regulatory oversight, bad technology and political stagnation have exposed the Cape Fear region and Brunswick County in particular to unacceptable levels of chemical pollution in the very water we use each day.

The culprit is PFAS, or “per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances,” a large group of man-made chemicals used in products such as nonstick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, food packaging, and firefighting foam. They are often called “forever chemicals,” because they don’t break down easily in the environment and can persist in water, soil, wildlife, and human bodies.

For years, Chemours, a Delaware company with a plant in Fayetteville, has manufactured these chemicals. Originally, Chemours was part of the chemical giant DuPont. But, due at least in part to legal liabilities, DuPont decided to spin off its “performance chemicals unit,” creating Chemours in 2015.

At that time, little was known publicly about the operations at the Fayetteville plant. But it soon became clear Chemours was discharging toxic pollutants from its manufacturing process directly into the Cape Fear River, contaminating the environment and threatening water supplies for everyone downstream.

Forever chemicals move through ground and surface water, making cleanup difficult and expensive. The extent of the pollution in the Cape Fear River basin has required ongoing monitoring, treatment upgrades, and remediation work, including efforts to contain contaminated groundwater before it reaches the river. The damage has been environmental, economic and deeply personal. Today, southeastern North Carolina is a national poster boy for the consequences of irresponsible corporations that prioritize profits for shareholders over the health, safety and welfare of the public.

Blame for the existing situation lies not only with Chemours, but with all levels of government. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established standards designed to protect the environment from the dangers of PFAS. It also recommended a barrier wall, seepage controls and groundwater treatment designed to reduce PFAS entering the Cape Fear River. These measures reflect the scale of the contamination – stopping PFAS after decades of release requires engineering solutions that cost millions and will take years to complete.

At the federal level, our congressman, David Rouzer, should be at the forefront of proposing and maintaining strong federal PFAS standards on behalf of his affected consituents. Instead, he has consistently voted to gut the EPA, and supports the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back PFAS standards established by the Biden Administration.

Meanwhile, a federal appeals court recently upheld a provision in the Biden version of the PFAS standards, requiring Chemours – not taxpayers – to pay for the damage it’s caused. It’s a rare win these days for clean water activists. “This is more than a legal victory,” said Emily Donavan, co-founder of Clean Cape Fear, an advocacy group and a party in the federal suit. “It’s a common-sense and moral victory too. The land belongs to the people, and forever chemical producers must pay when they poison our water, air, soil and food supplies.” 

At the state level, environmental organizations are backing new proposals establishing more detailed reporting requirements and a two-phase PFAS sampling effort to trace discharges from treatment plants. But they oppose rules approved by the state’s Environmental Management Commission as “polluter written,” because they don’t require reductions in toxic discharges.

In any event, legislative attention to this problem has been late in coming, while, once again, our elected representatives in Raleigh as in Washington failed to forcefully protest on our behalf.

In Brunswick County, construction is nearing completion of a major $167.3 million expansion and low-pressure “reverse osmosis” upgrade to the Northwest treatment palnt to remove PFAS chemicals. Many communities in the county will soon have a PFAS-free supply of water. But some county residents will still have forever chemicals in their water. Customers in Southport, St. James, Oak Island and Caswell Beach will receive a “blended” supply of filtered water from the Northwest plant combined with water drawn directly from the Cape Fear River.

Even more gobsmacking is what happens after the reverse osmosis process completes removing PFAS from water collected from the Cape Fear River. The treatment plant concentrates it and then discharges it back into the Cape Fear River. So, PFAS is removed from the water supply but returns to the Cape Fear River, raising the pollution hazard and further endangering the health of residents receiving blended water.

At present, no one seems to know the levels of PFAS that will reach customers’ taps after blending. Nor do we know where and how often blended water will be tested. And it’s hard to understand how returning concentrated PFAS to the already polluted Cape Fear River is a good idea.

People have a right to expect their drinking water to be protected before contamination reaches the tap. In southeastern North Carolina, the PFAS experience shows how regulatory gaps, incomplete disclosure, and neglectful chemical oversight can leave communities exposed. The region’s experience has helped push national debate over enforceable drinking water limits, source control, and accountability for cleanup costs. That’s little consolation for Brunswick County residents, who now know preventing pollution is far less costly than trying to remove forever chemicals after they have entered a river, a home, or a human body. 

The on-going PFAS issue in our county is but one critical reason to vote for Democrats up and down the ballot in the midterms. Our candidates have pledged to fight for safe, clean water for everyone — something their opponents have failed to do.