Our democracy is confusing. And our state is muddying the waters even more by altering the way it ‘normally’ works. We break it all down for you in this post. We hope this information helps you assess whether or not the General Assembly is adequately fulfilling their duty to protect your health and the health of […]
Category: Industrial Pollution
Three GenX Bills and a Call to Action
The General Assembly introduced three bills on managing the water quality crisis we are facing due to emerging contaminants like GenX. Representatives Davis, Grange, Iler, and Brisson introduced House Bill 972. Senators Lee, Rabon, and Meredith introduced Senate Bill 724. They are identical. Representatives Butler, Harrison, W. Richardson, and Floyd introduced House Bill 968. It is […]
Huge Win – This Time
New to Industrial Farming? Check out our “Introduction Post.” All caught up? Read on… On April 26, jurors awarded 10 citizens living near a 15,000-head swine operation $750,000 in compensatory damages and hit Smithfield Foods, which owns the animals, with $50 million in punitive damages. This was the first trial of a suit filed by […]
The Smell of Money: Hint, it Stinks
New here? Wondering what an industrial farm, or a CAFO is? Check out our Introductory post. If you’re up-to-speed, here’s what matters these days on this issue: On April 4, the first in a series of groundbreaking lawsuits against the country’s largest pork producer, Murphy-Brown LLC, began in federal court in Raleigh. More than 500 […]
State Rallies on GenX Response
The state has been busy this week on actions addressing GenX! Here’s a quick rundown … April 6 NC Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) issued Chemours a 60-day notice requiring they do one of the following by April 27, 2018: respond to the NC Division of Air Quality (DAQ) in writing and demonstrate to DAQ’s […]
At the Mercy of the Feds? EPA May Provide GenX Standard Ahead of State
Among Governor Cooper’s Science Advisory Board’s (SAB) primary objectives is to “act as consultants on DEQ’s determinations to regulate releases of contaminants,” i.e. provide a recommendation on a health goal that is enforceable by law. They have held four meetings since October, 2017 and based on the most recent meeting’s discussion this past Monday, they […]
Introduction: Industrial Farming
Cape Fear River Watch has been advocating, education and taking action on this issue for decades. This is a long battle, and requires not only regulatory changes, but also a broad-scale transformation in consumer attitudes, expectations and spending. What is a CAFO? CAFO stands for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation; it is the process by which […]
Introduction: GenX & Friends
It all began on June 7, 2017, when the Star News published an article by independent reporter Vaughn Hagerty called, “Toxin Taints CFPUA Drinking Water,” which referenced a 2016 study about some questionable compounds some scientists found in the river. Hagerty later said he had no idea it would illicit such a firestorm of community […]