In the southern Cumberland County, protesters displayed flags and signs to cars passing the Chemours chemical plant on the 7th of March 2020.
30 Residents of Cumberland, Bladen counties, and Wilmington, took part in the protest. The purpose of it was to raise awareness about the GenX chemicals produced by the plant’s drinking water supplies, which has been contaminated between Cumberland County and Wilmington, both of which are situated in south-eastern North Carolina.
Controversy surrounding the plant disposing of chemical waste has been ongoing for three consecutive years. The plant has been emitting PFAS for years, and even though it has not been in violation of environmental regulations, it is being emitted into the air and Cape Fear River, which poses as a threat for both locals and the environment. Since PFAS are chemicals that last forever, disposing of too much thereof continuously can seriously harm the environment for decades on end.
A Necessary Lawsuit Issued to Support Possible Environmental Contamination
Chemicals produced include perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are used in everyday consumer, as well as industrial products like non-stick cookware and lubricants. These chemicals can’t readily break down when disposed of, and some research even suggests that they are carcinogenic. GenX chemical contamination has become public in the middle of 2017 when Wilmington’s ‘The Star-News’ reported the presence of chemicals in Wilmington’s drinking water. Since Wilmington gets its water directly from the Cape Fear River, concerns raised among locals. How any company is allowed to produce non-environmental-friendly products that get deposited into fresh sources of drinking water, one will never understand.
For now, Chemours Co. has taken drastic measures to abate both air and water quality in the region, to see the extent of PFA emissions present. The investigation has been implemented due to a court order that was agreed upon in a lawsuit with the state regarding the relevant contamination, and to find a way to deal with it.
