Local leaders send letter to Gov. Cooper asking for ‘swift and transparent’ response

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Ahead of Gov. Roy Cooper’s planned visit to Wilmington on Monday to discuss GenX, local leaders sent a letter to the governor that outlines several of their concerns they want addressed.

New Hanover County Commission Chair Woody White, along with Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo, Brunswick County Board of Commissioners Chairman Frank Williams, and Pender County Commission Chair George Brown, asks the governor and Attorney General Josh Stein to act swiftly and transparently as they respond to the following concerns:

• Will the state immediately initiate studies on the human health effects of GenX?
• Are state regulators going to determine if, and at what levels, PFOA-related compounds and/or emerging contaminants beyond GenX have been discharged into the Cape Fear River dating back to 1980? What are/were the levels of the compounds and how long heave they been in the water?
• Was it illegal for companies like DuPont and Chemours to discharge these compounds into the river?
• Are state and federal authorities investigating the legal issues? Will they provide more information to our community about possible legal action?
• Will these concerns listed above have an impact on the permit renewal process for the Chemours Fayetteville facility?

The letter also requests that the state be more proactive in communicating the status of these and other issues regularly. They also ask for the most up-to-date information from a credible source.

Leaders also tell the governor this is no longer a Cape Fear Regional issue, this is a State of North Carolina, and perhaps even a national issue.

You can read the entire letter here.