Cape Fear River

The Trump administration is expected to soon say whether it intends to stand by strict drinking water standards for forever chemicals set last year. The Environmental Protection Agency has said PFAS increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and babies being born with low birth weight.

The Cape Fear River Basin is the source of drinking water for 1.5 million North Carolina residents. It is also where three municipal governments — Asheboro, Greensboro and Reidsville — are legally dumping dangerous levels of 1,4-dioxane, a colorless industrial solvent linked to cancer.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality is continuing Chemours’ search for groundwater contamination beyond the Lower Cape Fear.

Brunswick County is close to completing a multimillion-dollar project at its Northwest Water Treatment Plant. As part of the project, a reverse osmosis water treatment system is being installed at the plant to remove toxic chemicals known as PFAS.

An effort to order manufacturers of "forever chemicals" to help North Carolina public water systems pay for upgrades to remove contaminants that a company discharged has been renewed in the General Assembly.

The new rules establish legally enforceable levels for six kinds of PFAS. Levels range from four-to-10 parts per trillion. Public water systems across the country have until 2029 to meet these standards.

UNC Chapel Hill researchers have discovered eight types of previously unknown PFAS in the Cape Fear River using a new detection method.

The Environmental Protection Agency says it reversed its decision because Chemours provided inaccurate information to the Netherlands' government about the volume of materials being shipped. This development comes a week after letters from the United Nations accusing Chemours of violating human rights were made public.

Environmental groups are sounding the alarm about a bill moving in the state Senate. They say it could lead to more water pollution and make it easier to build new natural gas pipelines and hog farms.