All Eyes on NC Senate as State House Acts on Chemical Pollutants

North Carolina House today passed 116 - 0 House Bill 189, legislation that will provide additional funding to the state’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to increase scientific expertise and expand capacity to effectively detect and monitor pollution from unregulated chemicals. The action was prompted by ongoing contamination in the Cape Fear River basin caused by GenX, a toxic chemical that is unregulated by state and federal authorities. Statements may be attributed to David Kelly, EDF political affairs manager for North Carolina.

“House lawmakers took an important first step by directing additional funding to provide critically needed scientific expertise and technical capabilities at DEQ, but much more remains to be done.

“Studies to assess the state’s readiness to respond to chemical threats are useful only if legislative leaders act swiftly to provide additional resources and enact policy changes to strengthen public health and environmental safeguards.

“Senate leadership should quickly act on the legislation approved by the House. The beginning of the legislative short session in May will mark nearly a year since GenX contamination first made headlines. Families still waiting for substantive policy response from the General Assembly deserve action.”