North Carolina
EPA announces new PFAS standards for water utilities, but fails to address NC chemical industry | Port City Daily
NORTH CAROLINA — The Environmental Protection Agency has announced historic new PFAS regulations, but North Carolina environmentalist groups are concerned the rules will fail to stop chemical discharges at the source.
READ MORE: Amid ongoing lawsuit, NC groups dismayed by EPA’s private chemical industry workshop on PFAS testing
ALSO: Appeals Court casts doubt on district judge’s dismissal of local groups’ PFAS testing petition
On Wednesday, the EPA announced first-time legally enforceable maximum contaminant levels (MCL) for six types of PFAS. They include:
- PFOA 4.0 parts per trillion (ppt)
- PFOS 4.0ppt
- GenX chemicals 10ppt
- PFNA 10ppt
- PFHxS 10ppt
- Mixtures of GenX, PFNA, PFHxS, and PFBS meeting a hazard index standard of 1.
“This is a very important first step, a huge move for the EPA to protect communities in our country,” Southern Environmental Law Center senior attorney Jean Zhuang told Port City Daily.
Public water utilities will be required to complete initial monitoring of the compounds by 2027 and must implement solutions to reduce chemicals exceeding the MCL by 2029.
After 2029, utilities with PFAS exceeding MCLs will be required to give public notice of the violation and take action to reduce them in drinking water.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality is seeking federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to assist water utilities in funding expensive filtration technology. CFPUA installed its granular-activated carbon system in 2022, which cost $43 million. It raised its rates 8% in 2022 and 4.6% in 2023 to help cover the costs.
CFPUA spokesperson Cammie Bellamy said the utility is in compliance with the EPA’s new rules and provides updated testing results. She said the site will soon include comparisons with new PFAS maximum contaminant levels.
While the MCL standards place requirements on public water utilities, it remains unclear if the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality will implement the rules for companies that require pollution discharge elimination system permits.
In a public comment to the EPA, CFPUA executive director Kenneth Waldroup said PFAS manufacturers should be the foremost focus of expensive regulation, not utilities.
According to DEQ Deputy Communications Director Josh Kastrinsky, the agency is proposing to include the EPA’s PFAS standards in the state’s surface and groundwater standards to the Environmental Management Commission, the appointed body oversees and creates rules for DEQ.
North Carolina currently does not have surface or groundwater water standards for PFAS; new standards would include PFAS in discharge permits.
It’s unclear if the EPA’s new rules will affect a recent permit submitted by automotive manufacturer Lear Corporation, for instance, which included no PFAS limitations in its February draft NPDES permit for its Kenansville facility. DEQ extended the public comment period for the draft permit after a Cape Fear River Watch petition protesting the omission gained thousands of signatures. It is currently under EPA review.
Kastrinksy told Port City Daily the agency is currently reviewing public comments for Lear’s draft permit and a final announcement will be made soon.
“We do want to emphasize that EPA and our states need to take the next step and ensure that utilities can meet these standards — and not be too burdened — that they should begin using existing legal tools under the Clean Water Act to stop PFAS pollution at the source,” Zhuang said.
Beyond Lear, she noted other known and suspected North Carolina dischargers do not have PFAS limitations in their NPDES permits, including DAK Americas’ emissions in the Cape Fear River and Colonial Pipeline, which releases in the Yadkin River watershed.
“Dischargers should be tasked with implementing best available control technologies (BACT) in all cases for cleaning our waters and air,” UNCW geographer Roger Shew told PCD. “This should not be a discussion item. If the technology is available then it should be put in place — that is and should be EPA’s responsibility.”
Cape Fear River Watch executive director Dana Sargent said she views the announcement as positive, but argued the EPA’s first-time PFAS regulations should have been established decades earlier.
“Thousands of people have become sick or died from PFAS exposures while the chemical manufacturers who knew of the dangers 60 years ago, cozied up to the EPA, and federal and state officials, who — instead of doing their jobs to protect human health and the environment — helped make these corporations trillions of dollars, completely unregulated, for decades,” Sargent said.
On March 19, Cape Fear River Watch and other local nonprofits sent a letter to EPA expressing alarm about the agency’s private, invite-only workshop on the national PFAS testing strategy with chemical industry representatives.
The groups are currently suing the EPA to require comprehensive PFAS testing in North Carolina, to include 54 Chemours-specific compounds.
Zhuang pressed the fact that Wednesday’s announcement only applies to a few PFAS compounds; different agencies estimate a range from 6,000 to more than 12,000 variants. She hopes for more comprehensive regulation in the future.
Sargent similarly called for more expansive action:
“It’s time the USA adopts the precautionary principle followed by other developed countries, which requires companies prove their products are safe before they enter the environment, rather than waiting for people to get sick and die, before beginning a decades-long process to regulate them.”
She added the agency has not sought public input for its PFAS testing strategy, which Sargent believes is excessively influenced by the chemical industry.
“Even now, they refuse to regulate the corporations directly by requiring them to stop the pollution at the source, but instead put the burden on utilities to either filter this dangerous filth, or do the government’s job to pressure companies to stop discharging it,” she said.
Powerful business groups in the state such as the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce, North Carolina Manufacturers Alliance, and the American Chemistry Council have pushed against stronger PFAS regulations.
Legislators introduced a House Bill 600 provision last year to limit DEQ from imposing limits on PFAS, but withdrew it after public backlash. Industry groups also fought against Rep. Ted Davis Jr’s bill to require Chemours to pay for the public utilities’ PFAS filtration systems in New Hanover and Brunswick counties in 2022.
Shew said DEQ should work with PFAS discharging companies to meet the new standards:. “And if they don’t, they should be held fiscally accountable. There should be incentive penalties to ensure they adhere to the new rules.”
Tips or comments? Email journalist Peter Castagno at peter@localdailymedia.com.
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A national effort by former Republican Party politicians and activists to back the presidential campaign of Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris kicked off in North Carolina Monday.
Led by a politically conservative U.S. Army veteran, a former Republican justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court and a former local GOP activist from Charlotte, the state chapter of “Republicans for Harris” launched with speeches and a press conference.
They all said they disagree with many of the policies Harris backs. But they’re nevertheless endorsing her for president and working to convince fellow Republicans to listen to their arguments — namely, that former President Donald Trump and his Make America Great Again movement don’t represent the conservative values of the Republican Party they believe in.
“Donald Trump does not stand for our beliefs,” said Michael Tucker, a former board member of the Mecklenburg County GOP. “He does not stand for anything but himself.”
The North Carolina Republican Party didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the new group and its efforts to mobilize the anti-Trump wing of the party. Neither did the Trump campaign.
The Harris campaign helped organize the new group and said it’s happy to welcome the support.
“There’s a home in our campaign for Republican voters who care deeply about the future of our democracy, standing strong with our allies against foreign adversaries, and working across the aisle to get things done for the American people,” her campaign wrote in a statement.
Scott Peoples, a Raleigh resident who served in the 82nd Airborne Division at what’s now Fort Liberty, said Monday that he spent years voting for Republicans. But he can’t support Trump over his history of mocking soldiers who were killed in action or taken prisoner, he said, adding that he also opposes the isolationist foreign policy stances backed by Trump and other MAGA Republicans.
And even though he acknowledged Harris had a liberal voting record while serving in the U.S. Senate, Peoples said he also gives her credit for helping Biden pass the PACT Act in 2022. That massive overhaul of veterans’ health benefits expanded medical coverage for ailments tied to burn pits as well as the toxic water that existed for years at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, a large U.S Marine Corps base.
“They have a proven record that I think even right-leaning veterans can acknowledge,” Peoples said.
Similar sentiments were common throughout Monday’s call: Even if Harris isn’t their ideal candidate, they said, she at least has some issues they can get behind. And, more importantly, she doesn’t strike them as an existential threat to America like they believe Trump to be.
“Donald Trump’s attacks on our institutions and democracy will be much more severe under a second term,” said former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr. A longtime Republican politician, Orr publicly quit the GOP after the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on Congress by Trump supporters.
Orr and the others hope there are enough never-Trump Republicans like them to help swing North Carolina toward Harris.
In 2020, Trump won North Carolina by just 75,000 votes over Biden. In this year’s primary elections, more than 250,000 North Carolina voters backed former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley against Trump.
And while Trump is still favored to win North Carolina, polls show the race has become more competitive since Harris took over the campaign for Biden. A variety of public polls showed Trump leading Biden by 4% or more in North Carolina. This past week a Morning Consult poll showed Trump leading Harris by 1% of the vote.
This past week kicked off NC State’s 2024 Fall Football Camp. Here’s a breakdown of some of the main highlights of what Wolfpack Head Coach Dave Doeren had to say. You can watch the full video of his time with the press ABOVE .
Highlights
On the first day of practice on Wednesday, without being prompted, Doeren went out of his way to give praise to two young new members of the Wolfpack.
“It was good to see Tamarcus Cooley make some plays today. Had some nice interceptions. Keenan Jackson had some nice catches. Those two guys stepped up today. I thought they looked good in practice.”
Cooley is a Redshirt Freshman Defensive Back, who transferred in from Maryland this offseason. In practice, he was running with the 2nd Team Defense as the Nickelback. Cooley was High School teammates with Wolfpack Receiver Noah Rogers, who transferred in from Ohio St. this offseason.
Jackson is a True Freshman, who flipped his commitment from UNC to NC State on National Signing Day back in December. He was a 4-Star prospect out of Weddington High School in Matthews, North Carolina.
Doeren also gave an update on Junior Sean Brown moving from Safety to Linebacker.
“Really well. He’s a smart football player. In-game last year we had to move in there when Payton (Wilson) was out in the Clemson game. He had eight tackles in the fourth quarter. He showed us that he can play there in a game. He’s built for it. He can run. He’s physical. He’s got really good instincts, vision. He understands coach [Tony] Gibson’s defense and what he wants. That position has to have a guy in it that can really run and erase things. Sean is built for that.”
Brown has big shoes to fill, moving into the void that was left at WILL Linebacker. Payton Wilson used to wear those shoes. Back in the Spring, Brown had put on 10 pounds of muscle, and from the looks of things this past week, he might have put on a few more pounds of muscle since then.
Dantonio Burnette, NC State’s Strength & Conditioning Coach, shared this tweet last week, sharing that Brown ran a 4.43 40-yard dash this offseason.
SEAN BROWN
New year, new position but Bigger, Stronger & Faster. As a former Linebacker I’m extremely excited to see him roam the field for the WOLFPACK this season.
PRO AGILITY – 4.02
40 – 4.43
VJ – 38.6”#HTT #1Pack1Goal #Sprinting #Agility #ProAgility #Speed #FeedTheWolf pic.twitter.com/odpzW2lNPp— Dantonio Burnette (@CoachThunder_45) July 29, 2024
Check out our 2023 Highlight Reel of Brown.
Doeren said there are a few areas on the team where position battles are taking place.
“On the offensive line there’s some competition there. Looking forward to seeing that at the guard positions and the position of left guard in particular. There’s some really talented young receivers. Want to see how they come along and what they can do to help in some spots. On defense we brought in some older DBs. There’s a competition there.”
On Wednesday, former Walk-On, Redshirt Junior Matt McCabe was starting at Left Guard, and Redshirt Junior Anthony Carter Jr. was backing him up. Carter Jr. was the starter last season, and he has been recovering from offseason surgery. On the Right Side, Senior Timothy McKay was with the 1’s, and I expect him to remain there, serving as the starter last season.
On Wednesday, Sophomore KC Concepcion, Redshirt Freshman Noah Rogers and Redshirt Junior Dacari Collins were the starting Wide Receivers. I expect them to be the starters in Week 1 against Western Carolina, but expect a lot of the young talent behind them to fight for playing time as the year progresses. In my opinion, I can’t foresee any player behind Concepcion or Rogers taking their starting roles, but it will be interesting to see if someone pushes Collins for his job.
Obviously Aydan White will be starting at one of the Cornerback spots, and it looks like Sophomore Brandon Cisse is poised start on the other side, but I’m sure Corey Coley and Devon Marshall, who both Transferred in this offseason, are going to fight tooth-and-nail for that spot.
He had some kind words to say about McCabe’s journey from Walk-On to Scholarship Player.
“I’m really proud of Matt. Matt’s worked really hard. He does everything we ask him to do. He plays really hard. He trains really hard. He handles himself well in the community, in the classroom. It’s a great story.”
McCabe was awarded a Scholarship prior to the 2023 season.
Finally, Doeren thinks that NC State and Quarterback Grayson McCall are a perfect match.
“We’re very, very grateful that he’s here, one. Excited for him. Impressed by him. He understands the game. He’s a quick learner. He’s a really good teammate. Goes hard, holds himself to a high standard. Has no problem holding guys accountable and he does it in a good way. He’s demanding but not demeaning with people. He’s got great touch on the football. His game management skills, his clock management, everything. He’s a vet. He’s a great fit in our program.”
This past week, the ACC Network stopped by NC State’s practice for their ACC Football Road Trip, and chatted with Doeren as well.
A couple of notes from that:
Kevin Concepcion will be a part of the return game in some way this year on Special Teams. He was working with the Punt Return team in practice last week.
He also alluded to the fact that opposing Defenses won’t be able to simply focus on KC this year, because if they do, it will open up things for Noah Rogers, Justin Joly, Dacari Collins, Wesley Grimes and the Running Backs.
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — An NC Central student who was planning to play for the school’s football team has died following a car crash last month.
19-year-old Terrance Howard enrolled in summer classes, and was driving to Durham when he was involved in a car crash outside Salisbury. When he got out of his car to check on others, he was struck by another vehicle. After 10 days in a medically induced coma, Howard passed away in the hospital on July 30.
“It just seems incomprehensible,” said Rick LaFavers, Howard’s football coach at Ridge Point High in Missouri City, Texas.
In an interview with ABC 13 in Houston, LaFavers recalled his competitive spirit.
“I just remember his smile. He came in my office in May when he came back, and he came in the coach’s office and went and talked to the team,” said LaFavers.
That drive ultimately led him to walk on at the University of Alabama last season, where he spent a year with the SEC champions. Sunday afternoon, head coach Kalen DeBoer began his press conference by acknowledging Howard’s passing.
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“He’s got some guys that are here on this team who were close to him and also thinking about him. Just want to send prayers and thoughts up to his family,” said DeBoer.
Howard was also highly regarded for his skills as a track & field athlete. In a statement, Cheryl Thompson-Harris, his coach with Mainland Jaguars Track Club, wrote:
Terrance was a very special kid. He was a member of the Mainland Jaguars Track since the age of 11 years old. His dad coached with us a many years. He was a great teammate, athlete, and all-around great young man. Our hearts and prayers go out to his wonderful family. Terrance will be truly missed.
Howard announced his commitment to NC Central in May, sharing three pictures of him wearing Eagles jerseys as part of his post on X.
He was such a competitor and everybody loved him
Many have shared condolences on social media, including NC Central men’s basketball coach LeVelle Moton, who wrote: “May God provide comfort and healing to this family.”
ABC11 has reached out to NC Central and NC Central’s football program for comment but has not heard back at this time.
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