By Erin Smith
A committee has been convened to investigate the release of the chemical GenX into the Cape Fear River. The GenX Committee will conduct a meeting with public officials from throughout the Cape Fear region at 1:30 p.m. at the New Hanover County Government Center in Wilmington on Wednesday. Members of the public are aslo encouraged to attend and comment.
According to a release from NC House Speaker Tim Moore the Secretaries of the NC Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Environmental Quality and Chemours officials have also been invited to attend. This will be the first of what is expected to be several meetings regarding the matter.
“It is important for legislators to visit the lower Cape Fear region and hear from local families, public officials and environmental experts,” Moore & Berger said in a joint statement.
“Legislative hearings will provide a transparent process to help lawmakers and the public understand what happened, review the administration’s handling of this matter, and hopefully begin the process of identifying ways for the administration to address the immediate problem of GenX contamination in our water.”
The chemical GenX is a federally unregulated chemical which is used in the manufacture of Teflon. It is a health concern as it has been alleged to contribute to kidney cancers and testicular cancers as well as causing damage to the liver.
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