Cumberland County to set aside money for GenX contaminated wells in Gray's Creek
Cumberland County Manager Amy Cannon will ask county commissioners to include funds in the next fiscal year’s budget to start a project that will run water lines to an area with contaminated wells.
Cannon talked to state lawmakers who represent the county about her proposal during a meeting that included the commissioners and the county Board of Education, according to a statement released by county officials. She said her proposed budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year will include $258,000 for the initial phase of the county’s plans to extend water into the Gray’s Creek area to serve Alderman and Gray’s Creek elementary schools.
Students and staff at the two schools have been using bottled water since 2017 because of concerns related to GenX.
GenX is among a family of chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The compounds are sometimes called “forever chemicals” because they tend to stay in the body.
Hundreds of private wells in the southern part of Cumberland have been contaminated by GenX and similar compounds. The wells are near the Chemours plant, which is in Bladen County off N.C. 87 near the Cumberland County line.
The Chemours facility, which is known as the Fayetteville Works, makes GenX. The compound is also a byproduct of other processes there.
More: EPA assessment: GenX more toxic than thought; health effects might include liver, immune system
The Environmental Protection Agency released an assessment last year that said GenX is more toxic than previously believed. Animal studies found that oral exposure to the compound can potentially lead to health effects on the liver, kidneys, and the immune system, with a possible association with cancer, according to the agency.
Chemours officials have said the amount of GenX in the wells is not harmful.
Cannon told lawmakers that the most recent cost estimate for the full project of running water to the area was $65 million, according to the statement. She said the county has set aside $9 million from its Capital Investment Fund for the project and that commissioners have approved using $10 million of the county’s American Rescue Plan allocation for the project.
More: Cumberland County applies for $15 million state grant for Gray's Creek water system
The county is seeking a $15 million grant from the North Carolina Division of Environmental Quality’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, which if received would leave about $30 million remaining for the project. Cannon asked lawmakers for support in identifying additional funds for the project.
Local news editor Steve DeVane can be reached at sdevane@fayobserver.com.
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This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Cumberland County to set aside money for Gray's Creek water project
