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Local grassroots group sues county over claims of severe toxic water pollution

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston
Published June 18, 2026 at 6:53 AM EDT
Eva Stebel, water researcher, pours a water sample into a smaller glass container for experimentation as part of drinking water and PFAS research at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Center For Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response on Feb. 16, 2023, in Cincinnati. Three chemical companies said Friday, June 2, 2023, that they had reached a $1.18 billion deal to resolve complaints of polluting many U.S. drinking water systems with potentially harmful compounds known as PFAS.
AP Photo
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Joshua A. Bickel, File
File: Eva Stebel, water researcher, pours a water sample into a smaller glass container for experimentation as part of drinking water and PFAS research at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Center For Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response.

Robeson County is facing a federal lawsuit from a local grassroots group over claims of severe toxic water pollution.

The St. Pauls Community Association for Progress has asked a federal judge to prohibit the county from contaminating local groundwater with toxic forever chemicals, known as PFAS. The lawsuit contends a county-managed landfill is leaching the chemicals into wells that supply the nearby Rocco Water Treatment Plant, impacting tap water for 67,000 people.

Activists allege county leadership has known about the contamination since at least 2023 but refused to act. Environmental lawyers note the facility has registered the highest concentration of the chemical compound GenX of any groundwater-based water plant in the nation.

The lawsuit seeks an immediate order forcing the county to filter the system and provide clean drinking water.
Annette Weston
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.
See stories by Annette Weston