Water Contamination in Wilmington, NC
For my second blog post, to follow along with my first one, I wanted to talk about the water contamination crisis that is starting to happen in Wilmington, North Carolina. Not just in North Carolina, the water crisis is a huge deal in some parts of America and all over the world. Water contamination happens through pollution, littering, industrial sites, and many other ways. Our water is a big part of everyday life and what we survive off of. If we do not keep our bays, streams, and estuaries clean, all of that toxic waste is going to end up in our oceans. This is most likely to affect the wildlife that lives there. Another reason why we should want to keep our bays, streams, and estuaries clean is how it is affecting our health and good drinking water.
One big water contamination problem that has been affecting Wilmington, North Carolina is the 'Good Neighbor' campaign by Chemours. The campaign 'Good Neighbor' by Chemours was ultimately responsible for contaminating the Cape Fear River. A Biology professor from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Dr. Lary Cahoon expressed, “I just think it's completely wrong for polluters to trash the public's water supply and our recreational waters for their own profits.” I agree with this statement because no company should be able to take away the privilege of clean water from a community. As a result of the pollution in the Caper Fear Basin, my local water supply is affected as well. According to the ad campaign 'Good Neighbor' by Chemours, the company had to pay $12 million in fines to the state. In addition, the company's required to revamp the Fayetteville facility to properly dispose of chemical waste.
Another problem that has been affecting the water in Wilmington is toxic chemicals that can cause problems down the road with health. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stated “The chemical reportedly caused problems for the liver, kidneys, immune system and development of offspring. The EPA also noted an association with cancer.” The water that surrounds my community contains stated from Sweeney Water Treatment Plant “Cape Fear customers’ drinking water contains 7.78 parts per trillion of GenX, but CFPUA (Cape Fear Public Utility Authority) hopes to change that soon.” GenX is a man-made chemical compound called poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that do not naturally grow in the environment. These are used in broad commercial practices like food packaging, nonstick coatings, and firefighting foam. Our water is getting contaminated by the practices of businesses that think it is okay to not care about the environment around them.
I believe more legislation to regulate business practices would be a helpful solution. The environmental impact of business practices should be avoided by following certain laws. An organization shouldn't be allowed to produce a certain level of greenhouse gas emissions, for example. Additionally, it should not be allowed to dump toxic waste into the waterways. It is the responsibility of every company to protect the resources that are around them. If they do not comply with these laws or rules, then they should be subject to a fine, just as Chemours had to pay for their actions. Another alternative is to use reverse osmosis water filters for communities that already have been affected by toxic chemicals. By processing water this way, most contaminants, dirt, and bacteria are removed, leaving the water safe to drink.
The importance of water in our everyday lives cannot be overstated. The human race will disappear if we do not preserve and clean the water. As companies expand and create more jobs, it would be beneficial for them to follow some environmental rules to help keep our areas clean. Citizen participation is not limited to companies; it also applies to companies. Litter and pollution released by citizens also contribute significantly to climate change. Wilmington, North Carolina has a major issue with water contamination as a result of the carelessness of companies and residents. Many of us may be unaware that our community water is being impacted. Home water could be causing major health deficits and could prove detrimental to people's health. This problem needs to be solved before all of the communities' water supply is contaminated. Having water contamination start becoming a problem in the area you live in, opens your eyes to how careful you need to be with the environment and what you put into your body.