NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC - The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners, along with Public Health Director David Howard, recently sent letters to North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) Secretary Elizabeth Biser, regarding Chemours' proposed framework for sampling drinking water in New Hanover County.
At this time, NCDEQ has not formally accepted Chemours' plan, so county officials wanted to ensure that concerns were raised on behalf of our residents before the approval of any plan.
The Board of Commissioner's letter reads in part: "On February 1, as required by NCDEQ, Chemours sent its plan to your office, proposing to test private wells that are the primary source of drinking water on properties that are within half a mile of the Cape Fear River. We have each received a copy of this proposed plan, and believe it is grossly inadequate and does not come close to extending the protections of the consent order to our residents. We request that your office carefully review Chemours' plan, and offer a counter plan or directives that ensure New Hanover County's residents are provided with the same level of protection that others nearby the plant receive."
View the full letter from the Board of Commissioners; and view Public Health Director David Howard's letter.
The county is awaiting guidance from NCDEQ regarding Chemours's proposed plan for our community and will keep residents informed once more information and next steps are provided by NCDEQ.
To view Chemours' February 1 response letter to NCDEQ and their associated assessment framework and sampling plan, visit the Chemours website.