Two of North Carolina’s waterways made the list of American Rivers’ Most Endangered Rivers.
The Lumber, or Lumbee, River in eastern North Carolina ranked No. 4 on the list due to PFAS and agricultural pollution.
Alice Broderick works with communities along the Dan River, which ranked No. 8. She said the river was selected because construction of two major natural gas pipelines threatens it.
“It’s not necessarily an honor to be listed, obviously — both these rivers are facing a threat that maybe we can have an impact on in the next year,” Broderick said.
Donna Myers, who works with communities along the Lumber River, said American Rivers chose these waterways, in part, because there are opportunities to change course in the next year.
“The communities in the Lumber are purchasing water that they’re not sure is safe because they know the upgrades are needed, the investments and at the same time, they know that toxins are coming in, pollution is coming in,” Myers said.
Solutions for improving water quality in the Lumber could include upgrading water treatment facilities, PFAS removal and strengthening regulations to prevent further contamination.
