Read the full article by WECT staff (WECT News)
“Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo and State Representative Deb Butler met with the media Tuesday morning to discuss the $10 billion dollars federal lawmakers recently approved to clean up PFAs (Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) in our drinking water.
The funding is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that passed in November. This has been a major issue along the Cape Fear River since 2017, when scientists discovered concerning levels of GenX in the drinking water supply for 300,000 people. GenX is a type of PFA toxin also known as a ‘forever chemical’ because of how long it stays in a person’s body once they’ve been exposed to it.
‘The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s funding of $10 billion in grants nationwide, which is the single largest investment in water that the federal government has ever made, to address emerging contaminants like PFAS, is critically important for cities like Wilmington. While there’s more work to be done, this historic legislation is taking a significant step towards cleaning up our drinking water,’ said Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo.
While it’s not clear when the money will start flowing, elected leaders felt confident a significant amount would be coming to our area, in part because EPA Administrator Michael Regan, the former Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, is so close to the drinking water issue involving the Cape Fear River.
‘He is keenly aware of this issue and I am confident that is why it’s risen to such a national importance. I am sure that North Carolina and the treatment of this issue is going to get its fair due because he is in charge of championing it,’ State Representative Deb Butler said of Regan’s efforts to fight GenX and other ‘forever chemicals’ that have been found in the drinking water in Wilmington and across the country.”…