Read the full article by Kelly Kenoyer (WHQR)
“Chemours is testing wells in the lower Cape Fear for PFAS water contamination, but communication has been severely lacking for residents whose water tests positive.
Chemours began sampling wells in the lower Cape Fear Region in the spring. The state requirement echoes the state’s consent order that demanded the company sample wells surrounding the Fayetteville Works plant, where PFAS is produced.
Since the spring, 679 well owners in the lower Cape Fear Region have had their water tested. Of those who’ve received their results, more than 20% have come back with high enough levels to be given drinking water by Chemours.
But there are thousands more residents who qualify for testing. These residents are still finding out about their right to testing by word of mouth and from news reports — not from the contaminating company itself.
Seth Jacobsen lives in an idyllic home off Middlesound Loop Road with his wife Julia and two children. He says they were content drinking well water and assumed it was safer than the contaminated water coming from the Cape Fear River.
‘I first took action on that based off of hearing the story [WHQR] aired about somebody on Middle Sound Loop having tested positive,’ Jacobsen said. ‘So I said, ‘Well, we certainly should do that.’ And that’s when we all sort of scheduled our tests at the same time.’
Jacobsen and his neighbors all applied for testing, and a contractor came out to sample the water. But communication did not improve after a contractor came to test his well. A month or so afterward, he woke up to a mysterious delivery.
‘All the sudden, you just have 60 gallons of water sitting in your driveway,’ he said. A note pasted to the delivered water said, ‘Your home qualifies for supplemental drinking water based on preliminary sampling results.'” …