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U.S. EPA head announces grants to address "forever chemical" contamination in small town drinking water

The administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Michael Regan tours the Maysville water facility before announcing that the EPA is allocating $2 billion from the bipartisan infrastructure law to address PFAS and other emerging contaminants in small towns nationwide through the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities grant program.
(Photo: Annette Weston-Riggs, Public Radio East)
The administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Michael Regan tours the Maysville water facility before announcing that the EPA is allocating $2 billion from the bipartisan infrastructure law to address PFAs and other emerging contaminants in small towns nationwide through the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities grant program.

With a population of just over 800 people and its position within one of the state’s most economically distressed counties, Maysville may seem an unlikely backdrop for a major federal spending announcement, but that’s exactly what took place on Monday.

“We may never make it to the White House. But the White House made to Maysville,” said Town Manager Schumata Brown.

Brown was among those who helped the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Michael Regan announce that the EPA is allocating $2 billion from the bipartisan infrastructure law to address PFAs and other emerging contaminants nationwide through the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities grant program.

“Let's be clear. Clean water is essential for all life on Earth. It's fundamental for healthy people, thriving communities and productive agriculture,” said Regan “Yet too many people in this country lack access to safe, affordable and reliable drinking water systems. Too many communities are grappling with the impacts of PFAS pollution and other emerging contaminants.”

The town of Maysville, North Carolina was forced to shut down its only well in 2019 after PFAs contamination was found in the water supply. A new filtration system is expected to go online this year that will remove those “forever chemicals.”

“When this is done, it will be one of the most advanced filtration systems to remove PFAs,” Brown said, “And it was all due to a partnership.”

The town of Maysville, North Carolina was forced to shut down its only well in 2019 after PFAS contamination was found in the water supply. A new filtration system is expected to go online this year that will remove those “forever chemicals.”
(Photo: Annette Weston-Riggs, Public Radio East)
The town of Maysville, North Carolina was forced to shut down its only well in 2019 after PFAS contamination was found in the water supply. A new filtration system is expected to go online this year that will remove those “forever chemicals.”

Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Elizabeth Biser applauded local leaders for acting quickly after the contamination was discovered.

“Maysville leaders took action quickly,” she said, “They shut down the well, started buying their water from Jones County, which is still their source day. But they did the right thing. They acted on the science to protect their community from the harmful effects of these compounds.”

La’Meshia Whittington is a member of the NC Department of Environmental Quality’s Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board and said drinking water contamination disproportionately affects underprivileged communities.

“We talk about PFAS as a contaminant issue that impacts all of us,” Whittington said, “We also see the disproportionate burden it has on Black and Brown communities because, well, since Jim Crow, our homes have been the place by which more corporations are ground.”

Whittington likened drinking water contamination to other disasters.

“Nearly five years ago, many of us were faced with improbable danger at the hands of Hurricane Florence, attempting to prepare to either shelter in place or to evacuate,” she said, “What we were not prepared for that same year was another threat, another disaster that was PFAs.”

In total, Regan said the EPA will provide $5 billion between now and 2026 through the program.

Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to eastern North Carolina in 2019 to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of kiddo cuddling, reading, and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.