North Carolina Activists Battle to Protect Drinking Water from PFAS

For over a decade, activists in North Carolina have fought to hold polluters accountable for PFAS contamination in drinking water. In 2013, scientists discovered multiple PFAS compounds, including GenX, in the Lower Cape Fear River, the source for hundreds of thousands of residents. The chemicals, linked to cancer, immune disorders, and developmental issues, were traced to Chemours’ Fayetteville Works plant, which, along with its predecessor DuPont, had quietly released toxins for decades.

Environmental groups, led by Emily Donovan of Clean Cape Fear, worked with lawyers, legislators, and local communities to pressure the EPA and state regulators to act. Their efforts culminated in 2024 when the agency, under Biden-appointed Michael Regan, moved to regulate five PFAS types in drinking water.

However, their victory faced an immediate threat when Trump-era EPA administrator Lee Zeldin signaled plans to roll back these protections, putting years of advocacy and public health safeguards at risk.

12-10-2025