Read full article by Emily M. Williams (Bladen Journal)

“TAR HEEL — A sizeable crowd showed up in at Tar Heel Middle School to share and discuss their concerns about the chemicals being discharged into the air and water in their community at the Fayetteville Works Plant that is home to Chemours.

Multiple presentations shed light not only on the data that has been gathered, but also practical applications for daily living.

Friends of the Earth, Columbus County Forum, Democracy Green and the Center for Environmental Health were all a part of the event, as well as members from online groups prominent in the areas effected.

First up was Dr. Kyle Horton with Clean Cape Fear, an organization focusing on the PFAS chemicals being dumped into the Cape Fear River and water supplies. The per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are used for their nonstick properties in items like food packaging and teflon pans.

Horton is an internal medicine doctor.

‘It’s critical that we look at all the chemicals together,’ she said.

Horton expressed that this meeting was not just about GenX, but about the effects of all these chemicals in this class, and their effects, both known and unknown.

Those effects were the primary concerns of the attendees, with questions popping up from all over the gym. They were about everything from handling day to day activities like washing dishes, to concerns about the lack of governmental movement on the testing of these chemicals.

Bruce Skinner, who has been an active in GenX awareness, said that he came to learn about the medical side.

‘I came to learn about the extended health effects,’ he said. ‘It looks like there’s more information here than what we have previously had.’

‘The new numbers that are coming out are giving the total count and a limit are way too much. My number is zero.’

Skinner said that he feels that there shouldn’t be any of these chemicals in the water, and that having any is unacceptable…

Amanda Dew said she lives right next to the plant.

‘The lake that we own is contaminated, and the fish in the lake is contaminated,’ she said. ‘Everything around is contaminated’…

Her house has been living off bottled water since 2017.

‘I think it is time for the municipal people to get in gear with getting the water out here,’ Skinner said…

Ade Yarsiah came with her husband Micah, and she asked about washing dishes in her house. Horton told her to use the cold water filtered with reverse osmosis to wash dishes because the water in the hot water tanks is not filtered.

‘I have three special needs children,’ she said. ‘We bought a house here without knowing about this and now we are stuck with it.’

Attendees were encouraged to fill out cards with questions. They were told sponsors of the event would see about getting some answers for them.

Another meeting will be planned for January.”