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
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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
BEAT's Friends: Local Environmental Organizations
Respected By BEAT (And They Are Terrific!!!)
CAPE FEAR RIVER WATCH
Cape Fear River Watch
The mission of Cape Fear River Watch is "to protect and improve the water quality of the Lower Cape Fear River Basin through education, advocacy, and action. It is a non-profit organization founded in 1993 by a group of local citizens concerned about the future of our River and our Region. This small grassroots beginning was dedicated to improving and preserving the health, beauty, cleanliness, and heritage of the Cape Fear River basin. We aim to protect and improve the water quality of the Lower Cape Fear River Basin through education, advocacy, and action.
CAPE FEAR SIERRA CLUB
Cape Fear
Sierra Club
The The Cape Fear group {of the Sierra Club], one of 14 local groups in the North Carolina Chapter, serves over 1000 members in Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Duplin, New Hanover, Pender, and Robeson counties. The club is involved in development of environmental and conservation programs. While addressing the current conservation campaign issues of "Clean Energy/Dirty Fuels," through support of solar and wind energy and advocacy for the Clean Power Plan, the club is also focuses on endorsement of environmentally friendly elected officials.
Established in 1970, the North Carolina Chapter advocates across the state and in our capitol, from the mountains to the coast, for a clean, healthy North Carolina safe for both current and future citizens. The Chapter has over 15,000 members and 14 local groups across the state, a statewide office in downtown Raleigh, and a field office in Asheville. In our nearly 40 year history in the state, the North Carolina Chapter has worked to pass groundbreaking environmental legislation on both the local and national level. Past issues range from putting an end to hog waste pollution to protecting the integrity of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Currently, we are:
1) Protecting North Carolina's fragile coastline and mountain ecosystems.
2) Pushing for healthy air and enforceable pollution control standard.
3) Improving and connecting the state's public transportation infrastructure.
4) Fighting to bring clean energy solutions to North Carolina.
CAPE FEAR CHAPTER OF THE SURFRIDER FOUNDATION
The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's oceans, waves and beaches through a powerful activist network.
Surfrider Foundation was founded in 1984 by a group of surfers who were concerned with health risks associated with the coastal development of one of their favorite surf breaks in Malibu, CA. Today, Surfrider has grown into a vast grassroots network of 84 volunteer chapters across the US and seven other countries. The different chapters focus on various campaigns that are specific to their local community.
In 1993, the Cape Fear Chapter of Surfrider was born...The Cape Fear Chapter had truly grassroots beginnings with the membership base coming from the Surfrider surf competition participants. They focused in areas of water quality, opposition to offshore oil drilling, storm water stenciling, beach access, and beach litter. 22 Years later, the chapter carries on the spirit of its humble beginnings, and continues to grow in strength and numbers tackling important issues regarding our coast, and instilling a sense of stewardship within our coastal community.
CLEAN CAPE FEAR
We are an alliance of established advocacy groups, community leaders, educators, and professionals working together to restore and protect our water quality, as well as spotlight deficiencies in governmental regulations that adversely impact our right to clean water. We wish we didn't exist. But sadly, we do. Toxins aren't the only things polluting our community; misinformation, uncertainty, and corporate greed are getting discharged into our systems as well.
Stick with us as we work to share information we personally value and trust. We'll also pass along action-oriented ways you can hold Chemours and our public officials accountable. We are working hard to share this information, because safe, clean drinking water is a basic human right.
Hands Across the Sand, founded in 2010, grew into an international movement after the BP oil disaster in April of that year. People came together to join hands, forming symbolic barriers against spilled oil and to stand against the impacts of other forms of extreme energy. Since then, thousands of Americans and global citizens have gathered at beaches and cities to draw metaphorical and actual lines in the sand; human lines in the sand against fossil fuels that threaten our future and for clean and renewable energy. Hands opposes offshore drilling, deepwater drilling, and offshore seismic testing.
KEEP BRUNSWICK COUNTY BEAUTIFUL
Through our programs and public-private partnerships, we help to strengthen communities. Keep America Beautiful works with corporations, government and civic entities, educational institutions, nonprofits and other organizations to address complex challenges on both a local and national scale. Our partners contribute more than financial support — they contribute ideas, in-kind support, and the time and power of volunteers — all to help us empower stronger communities. Each and every day, Keep America Beautiful helps turn public spaces into beautiful places, helping to drive positive social, environmental and economic change. By working together, we can be successful in improving our communities.
Keep Brunswick County Beautiful is an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, a national nonprofit public education organization dedicated since 1953 to engaging individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their local community environments. For half a century, Keep America Beautiful has been the nation’s leading community improvement organization successfully implementing an effective, systematic strategy for reducing waste, preventing litter and beautifying communities nationwide. Keep Brunswick County Beautiful is dedicated to making our community a better place through litter prevention and waste reduction, through education of our residents, and clean-ups and beautification projects throughout Brunswick County.
NORTH CAROLINA COASTAL FEDERATION
North Carolina
Coastal Federation
35 years working together for a healthy coast
The North Carolina Coastal Federation is a nonprofit organization that works with coastal residents and visitors to protect the beautiful and productive North Carolina coast. The four main areas in which the federation operates include: coastal advocacy, environmental education, habitat and water quality restoration and preservation, and support in the improvement and enforcement of environmental laws. The federation headquarters are located in Newport (Ocean), North Carolina, with regional offices in Manteo and Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.
The North Carolina Environmental Justice Network's (NCEJN) mission is to promote health and environmental equality for all people of North Carolina through community action for clean industry, safe work places and fair access to all human and natural resources. NCEJN seeks to accomplish these goals through organizing, advocacy, research, and education based on principles of economic equity and democracy for all people.
OCEANA
www.oceana.org
Oceana is the largest international ocean conservation and advocacy organization. Oceana works to protect and restore the world’s oceans through targeted policy campaigns. Oceana bases its policy campaign goals on science to achieve concrete and measurable results through targeted campaigns that combine policy, advocacy, science, law, media, and public pressure to prevent collapse of fish populations, marine mammals and other sea life caused by industrial fishing and pollution. Campaigns are designed to produce clear, identifiable policy changes within a 3–5 year timeframe.
Also, a special thank you to Randy Sturgill, Senior Campaign Organizer, Southeast Region (NC, SC) Oceana Staff, for all of his support!
SOUTHERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER
The Southern Environmental Law Center uses the power of the law to champion the environment of the Southeast. Our team of more than 70 dedicated attorneys stands up for all the things you love about this special region—clean water, healthy air, mountains and forests, the coast.
By working at the national, regional, state, and local levels, and in all three branches of government, this nonprofit organization is able to do what it takes to get results. SELC strengthens laws, we make government agencies do their job, and, when necessary, we go to court to stop environmental abuses or to set far-reaching precedents.
SKIP THE STRAW
Every day Americans use up to 500,000,000 single-use plastic straws. After one drink, these straws wind up in landfills and oceans where they remain for up to 500 years! It's time to #SkiptheStraws.
People around the world are working together to make plastic straw waste a thing of the past. By making a simple commitment to end plastic straw, the #skipthestraws community is helping to ensure cleaner beaches, healthier marine life, and a greener Planet Earth.
So come join the #skipthestraws movement and make the world a better, cleaner place for all!
"A small change can make a BIG difference."
STOP OFFSHORE DRILLING IN THE ATLANTIC (SODA)
www.facebook.com/pg/StopOffshoreDrillingintheAtlantic/about/?ref=page_internal
SODA is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots group formed because of our desire to protect and preserve the health and beauty of the Atlantic coast. Our mission is to prevent offshore seismic testing and drilling for oil and gas along our coast. The United States produces more oil and gas than it consumes, allowing the oil and gas industry to sell surplus crude oil around the globe. In truth, oil and gas extracted from the U.S. is simply sold to the highest bidder on the world market. Drilling for additional oil and gas on the Atlantic Continental Shelf only adds to the profits of the fossil fuel industry and does nothing to enhance the energy independence of this country.
Offshore drilling is inherently dangerous – far more so than land-based wells…Recent research has shown that seismic testing (blasting) is hazardous to marine life and other mammals…The economy of the Atlantic coast depends on a healthy ocean to support the vibrant fishing and tourism industries.The economy of the Atlantic coast depends on a health ocean to support the vibrant tourism and fishing industries.energy independence of this country.