contamination
For people on private wells, race and income often determine whether water is safe to drink
Roughly 2.4 million North Carolinians rely on private wells for their drinking water. But unlike public water systems, private wells are not regulated under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. Instead of a utility being responsible for ensuring the drinking water is free of contaminants, residents on private wells are the stewards of their own […]
Dishonorable discharge: Runoff from a former industrial site is contaminating an important NC lake
Alcoa's continued discharge of toxics into Badin Lake, a popular fishing and swimming destination, linked to paltry fines, lax state oversight Alcoa, the eighth-largest aluminum company in the world, whose global reach spans 11 countries, claims on its website that it "operates with excellence" and "cares about people around the globe." The residents of West Badin, in Stanly County, and many of their neighbors across Badin Lake disagree.
Former Army missile plant in Burlington poses “an urgent public health risk”
Private owners neglect the contaminated property, posing an environmental threat to a Black and Latinx neighborhood
This is the second of a two-part story about hazardous contamination at a former missile plant in Burlington that is threatening a predominantly Black and Latinx neighborhood.
After contamination found in groundwater, DEQ orders full investigation of Chatham County coal ash site
Groundwater near a coal ash repository in Chatham County has again tested high for contaminants, prompting state environmental officials to require a full assessment of the site. A former clay mine, Brickhaven lies four miles southeast of Moncure near the Lee County line.
Bills would crack down on polluters, set “precautionary” standard for PFAS and other emerging compounds
State environmental regulators would be required to set a standard of 10 parts per trillion for perfluorinated compounds, according to Senate Bill 518, introduced on Friday. The “precautionary” 10 ppt trillion standard would be applied to any emerging compound for which there are no federal or state regulations. This would include GenX, 1,4-dioxane and the […]
Their wells contaminated, residents near Chemours plant will receive bottled water
State environmental officials announced today they have instructed Chemours to provide bottled water to 11 households whose private wells tested above the health goal of 140 parts per trillion set for GenX. Chemours conducted the sampling, but the state is reviewing the protocol and results, so the findings are still preliminary. To date, Chemours has […]
Monday map time: Find a contaminated dry cleaning site near you
There is nothing “dry” about dry cleaning, and little that’s clean about it, either. Statewide, an estimated 1,500 dry cleaners – both operating and defunct – have potentially contaminated the water, dirt and/or air with toxic solvents. PERC, or perchloroethylene, is the solvent most widely used at dry cleaners. Your clothes are essentially bathed in […]
EPA names 173 companies in $5.5 million settlement over PCB contamination in Wake County
For more than 10 years, it has been forbidden to eat a single fish from Brier Creek Reservoir in Wake County. Areas downstream, such as Brier Creek and Little Brier Creek, were also off-limits. That prohibition extended for nearly 30 miles southwest, to Crabtree Creek, Lake Crabtree, on down into parts of the Neuse River […]