Democrats' NC legislative gains could put PFAS oversight back in spotlight
While North Carolina Democrats digest their stunning success on Election Day that gave the party control of the N.C. House and touching distance of taking over the N.C. Senate, supporters are wondering what the changes in the state legislature will mean in practice. One of the issues top of mind for residents, and one that became a campaign issue in the bruising race between Sen. Michael Lee , R-New Hanover, and victorious Democratic challenger Jessica Bichler, was what the changes could mean for environmental enforcement − specifically when it comes to "forever chemicals." The StarNews first broke the story in 2017 of the chemical discharges into the Cape Fear, which serves as the primary drinking water supply for nearly 500,000 people in Southeastern North Carolina, that couldn't be filtered out by local utilities before the water reached homes and businesses. Since then, testing also has found extensive PFAS contamination in groundwater and the environment across the Cape Fear region. Formally known as per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, PFAS are manmade substances used in a range of products from medical devices to nonstick cookware that don't break down quickly − hence their name forever chemicals − and have been tied to a host
