Brunswick Environmental Action Team
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Emily Donovan via ActionNetwork.org <info@email.actionnetwork.org>
Date: Mon, Jul 19, 2021 at 9:08 AM
Subject: URGENT: Action needed on PFAS in NC
Hello Friends!
We need you to ACT right now on PFAS contamination in North Carolina. Please sign-up to give virtual public comments this Tuesday, July 20th at 6:00pm. NC DEQ is holding a virtual public hearing on proposed new surface water quality standards. Click here to register.
These proposed standards were recommended by the Environmental Management Commission (EMC). This triennial review only happens once every three years and the EMC did not include PFAS/GenX!! By the way, the EMC is made up of 15 members, including 9 appointed by the Governor, 3 by the Senate Pro Tempore, and 3 by the Speaker of the House.
We have already paid the ultimate price. We were poisoned by PFAS for decades. Our blood was contaminated without our consent. It's time NC DEQ puts OUR needs first.
We cannot wait another three years for action on PFAS. We deserve surface water quality standards ASAP and DEQ has the power to correct this oversight.
Use this link to register:
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx...
Surface water quality standards are used to protect our rivers, lakes and streams. Over 1.5 million North Carolinians rely on the Cape Fear River as their primary source of drinking water.
Multiple studies confirm NC has some of the worst PFAS pollution in the nation. DEQ must create surface water quality standards for PFAS so the burden to remove these “forever chemicals” from drinking water sources falls on the polluters—not innocent ratepayers.
A growing body of research suggests these “forever chemicals” are toxic at trace amounts and have lasting health impacts. Many North Carolinians have been chronically exposure to large quantities of PFAS for decades.
PFAS exposures are associated with immune suppression, developmental effects during pregnancy or breastfeeding, thyroid problems, increases in cholesterol levels which leads to stroke or heart attacks, and a number of cancers—including thyroid, kidney, bladder and testicular cancers.
We need you to make your voices heard! When you give your public comments tell DEQ why this matters to you. Explain how PFAS contamination has personally impacted your lives.
Demand DEQ do the following:
Immediately adopt a surface water quality standard for PFAS as a class at a health protective level of 1 ppt for the sum total concentration of all PFAS.
Establishing a 1 ppt surface water quality standard for the sum total of all PFAS will stop the spread of newly released PFAS at the source--instead of placing the burden on drinking water utilities. It will also protect our natural wildlife and aquatic life from unnecessary PFAS contamination. This health protective level is supported by multiple research studies.
You have until noon on Tuesday, July 20th to sign-up to speak. Please show up and bring your friends. Can we count on you to get three friends to join you? Click here to register to speak.
Thank you so much for helping us remove PFAS from our air, soil, water and food supply.
Sincerely,
Emily Donovan & your Clean Cape Fear leadership team
for 2021. For the Zoom link, please go to:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81477228617
Get More Information about BEAT Calendar Events by clicking on the event date and scrolling up or down. Additional information about the event such as time, location/address and description of the event (and other links) are provided in this event calendar when possible.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE BEAT LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR the Brunswick County NAACP’s proposed Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Multi-Use Greenway/Blueway Trail, Brunswick County, North Carolina
FYI: An Informative PDF about PFAS as it Relates to Brunswick County in 2020 - by Eugene Rozenbaoum of LG Chem
The meeting was called to order at 10:00 a.m. by BEAT President Neil Gilbert.
The July 26th meeting minutes were unanimously approved.
Jan reported on BEAT revenue and expenses.
Dale reported on two recent Clean Cape Fear roundtables (August 1st and August 8th) that he attended and updated the Board on the status of Gen-X and other chemicals in the Cape Fear River. Neil attended the SODA Offshore Drilling meeting in Myrtle Beach and updated the Board on the continued desire of some to push offshore drilling in the Atlantic and on SODA’s activities to prevent that.
Dwight reported on the August 12th Blue Extravaganza in Bolivia – a very successful event and one in which BEAT attracted several new members.
Greg updated the Board on progress in development of the BEAT website.
Jan discussed the Events Committee and the need to have more volunteers available for setup and (especially) take down of materials at events.
Ted stated that he had investigated organizational structures and that BEAT’s best move is to remain as a 501(c)(3) organization rather than become a LLC.
Ted also updated the Board on the status of the BEAT by-laws. It was decided that Ted and Greg would attempt to finalize a draft of the by-laws that could be considered by the full Board at its next meeting.
Neil recommended and everyone supported the appointment of Kristen Colleran (a veterinarian from Ocean Isle Beach and head of the local Warrior Women) to the vacant Board seat. He also identified Dan George (Winnabow fisherman) and Pete Key (Oak Island) as potential Board members.
Dwight reported that the Brunswick County Commissioners are considering a resolution to oppose solar energy.
Neil identified several relevant upcoming events: the Clean Water Rally with Erin Brockovich in Wilmington on August 19th, the Women’s Equality Day Rally in Southport on August 26th, and the Sunset at Sunset Festival in Sunset Beach on October 7th.
Neil discussed a request to have the BEAT Facebook page return to being private rather than public. The Board endorsed this move.
The next Board meeting will be on Friday, August 25th at Backstreet Café. The next membership meeting will be on Wednesday, September 6th at BEMC.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:00 p.m.
Greg Weiss
Acting Recording Secretary
BRUNSWICK ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION TEAM (BEAT)
MINUTES OF THE INTERIM BOARD MEETING
(Held at Brunswick Electric Corporation Building,
795 Ocean Highway West, Supply, NC)
August 16, 2017, 2017
