Shallotte community holds Gen-X news conference

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A news conference was held on Thursday to address the long-term effects caused by Gen-X in drinking water. 

Members of ‘Democracy Green’ and ‘Brunswick County Stewards of The Environment’ gathered at a home in Shallotte to call attention to the irreversible damage and deaths as a result of unsafe drinking water. 

The Board President for Democracy Green said Brunswick County is among one of the top counties in the state for PFAS contamination in drinking water. She said some of the most affected communities aren’t getting the attention they deserve. 

“We didn’t hear anything about the actual people. The teachers, the firefighters, these folks have retired from serving the state,” Democracy Green Board President, LaMeshia Whittington, said. “These folks have retired from serving the county. These are the real people of North Carolina who have stayed here and invested in landscaping. So, we brought it here. Because that’s who’s impacted.” 

Whittington said her fight for the people of Brunswick County is not over. She said by having these conversations, it is a good start to finding solutions.