While Chemours says it’s in compliance with state laws and a 2019 consent order, comments collected by NCDEQ show many are unsatisfied with the response by the company responsible for PFAS contamination in the Cape Fear region.
Public Health
Outer Banks’ Gen Z Responds to Lockdown
Young people on the Outer Banks who may have once thought they would be unaffected by the pandemic are now coping with disruptive changes in their formerly highly social lives, just as they were set to graduate or begin careers.
Seafood Available, Buyers Are Not: COVID
As the lockdown to stem the coronavirus pandemic appears more and more to be a long-term situation, those in the fishing and shellfish industry and related businesses are struggling to find markets for their catch.
Strapped Industry, Towns Plead For Relief
Legislative hearings this week in Raleigh on the impact of the coronavirus featured a litany of losses across all sectors of the economy, but none as quickly or deeply felt than in the areas of food service, hospitality and travel.
Coastal Governments Enact New Restrictions
As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rises statewide, coastal counties and towns are enacting new measures and restrictions to align with Gov. Roy Cooper’s stay-at-home order and limit the virus’ spread.
Outer Banks Folk Prep for the Unknown
Outer Banks residents, seasoned by threatening storms, are no strangers to preparedness, but although there’s some familiarity in the new routine, the threat of COVID-19 is unlike anything before, and health care capacity could be tested.
COVID-19 Forecast Dire; Responses Vary
As COVID-19 cases increase in rapid acceleration and health officials warn the public to take steps, some beach communities up and down the coast are responding differently to the public health threat.
Officials Take Steps to Curb Virus’ Spread
Officials at the state level and in coastal counties have announced measures to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus as residents and business owners face increasing anxiety over their health and finances.
School Boards Eye Filtration to Remove PFAS
Schools in Brunswick and New Hanover counties are moving to install water filling stations and reverse osmosis filters to protect students from industrial contaminants found in drinking water.
Not All In-Home Water Filters Equal: Study
A new study finds that under-the-sink reverse osmosis systems work best at removing “forever chemicals,” but they aren’t cheap.
PFAS Found in Biodegradable Food Packaging
Biodegradable paper plates and food packaging may seem environmentally friendly, but recent studies have found per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in compost that includes food containers.
NC Not Getting Federal Grant to Study PFAS
North Carolina is not among seven states that will be awarded federal grant funding to conduct health studies on people in specific communities who have been drinking water contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS.
‘Forever Chemicals’ Execs Under Fire
For the first time, executives from Chemours, DuPont and 3M were called before a U.S. House environmental oversight committee to discuss their accountability in PFAS contamination plaguing North Carolina and the country.
Ocracoke Clinic Vital to Remote Island
The Ocracoke Health Center is one of those necessary institutions that keeps the island going, but that doesn’t always translate into fiscal health.
Albemarle Algae’s Return Stumps Scientists
Researchers want to better understand what’s causing the large algal blooms in the Albemarle region, which returned four years ago after a long absence.
Vibrio Survivor, Wife Warn of Bacteria’s Risks
Richard Flaherty of Oriental was just helping a neighbor last year after Hurricane Florence hit the area, but hours later he nearly died after exposure to bacteria in the standing water.