Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, more commonly known as PFAS, pose a danger to the health of our community. They have been shown to cause liver damage, thyroid disease, obesity, fertility problems, cancer and immunosuppression, which reduces the efficacy of vaccines and the immune system’s ability to fight infections. PFAS are a group of chemicals used to make and coat various materials, from nonstick pots and pans to waterproof clothing and firefighting foam. At one point, their presence in the Cape Fear River led Wilmington to have the most toxic tap water in the country. Once PFAS enter the environment and water supply, they prove near impossible to remove, garnering the name “forever chemicals.”
Chemours, formerly known as DuPont, has been dumping PFAS into the Cape Fear River for decades, a river responsible for the water supply in Wilmington and to 1 million people in the region. In 2023, PFAS in the river were up to 155 times what health officials deem acceptable.
In 2014, researchers found high concentrations of GenX, a type of PFAS, in the Cape Fear River. It wasn’t until 2017 that this made front-page news, leading to public outrage. By 2019, the construction of the Granular Activated Carbon treatment facility was underway to filter out PFAS.
Such quick action is largely thanks to a consent order initiated by a local environmental protection group called Cape Fear River Watch. The group was also responsible for suing Chemours, the Environmental Protection Agency and the state for the damages done to the environment and community. They forced these organizations to take accountability for their detrimental actions and to develop and execute a PFAS remediation plan for contaminated air, soil and water. Prior to this, people were reliant on household filters that were only partially effective at removing toxic PFAS from drinking water. If they are not maintained well, such filters can even worsen the water quality.
United Nations experts claimed that the lack of information provided to residents about how to prevent harm and seek reparation was an abuse on human rights. The UN also claimed that DuPont and Chemours have produced, marketed and profited from PFAS for decades, contributing to a global toxic contamination problem.
In 2023, the EPA granted the company permission to import four million pounds of PFAS contaminated waste from the Netherlands to its Fayetteville Works facility. The EPA later rescinded the permit due to public outcry, demonstrating how civil society can make a difference. In April 2024, under the Biden administration, the EPA went on to establish the first national drinking water standard for PFAS, setting maximum contamination levels for six PFAS in drinking water. This proposal would have required companies like Chemours to reduce and monitor their own pollution into waterways. However, in January of this year, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to withdraw this proposed rule, once again sparking concern among residents.
N.C. Conservation Network is one of many organizations fighting this issue. More specifically, they help pool together resources and focus environmental and public health efforts. Morgan Kondratick’s role as a local activist and campus fellow for N.C. Conservation Network at UNCW is to spread awareness of issues and provide people with ways to act. This includes signing petitions and writing to decision makers, so they know the community is passionate about this issue.
While Kondratick commends Wilmington for making “great strides in protecting our drinking water” she urges that “we need decision-makers to stop PFAS pollution from happening in the first place,” highlighting that “the filters can only do so much.”
Since the installation of the Sweeney GAC treatment facility, PFAS in the water supply have dropped dramatically in Wilmington. Recently, I tested the water quality from water fountains at UNCW using Cyclopure PFAS test kits. The tests concluded that there are currently no significant traces of PFAS in the fountain water at UNCW, with less than 1.0 parts-per-trillion of 6 types of PFAS including GenX. Unfortunately, contaminated drinking water is just one of many problems these chemicals cause.
Aquatic life in the Cape Fear River will continue to suffer if these forever chemicals are not fully eradicated. Fish consumption advisories currently warn people not to eat fish from certain areas impacted by PFAS, harming the fishing industry. These chemicals are also contaminating our groundwater which is an important source of water for irrigation and drinking water. Furthermore, these forever chemicals are in the air we breathe, once again posing a risk to our health.
While this disaster showed the harm companies will cause if left unchecked, it also demonstrates the power a community can wield if they focus their efforts on important issues. Cape Fear River Watch was able to create such life-saving changes because of the people who supported them and cared about issues at the local level. To protect our community from PFAS you can sign N.C. Conservation Network’s petition which urges the government to take statewide action, or sign Action Network’s petition sponsored by Cape Fear River Watch to stop Chemours expansion. Change at the local level is a key channel through which we combat global environmental problems.
