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Home My WebLink AboutDEQ-CFW_00052482N. Thanks, Marla. Kritzer, Jamie [/D=[XCHANG[LAB5/OU=EXCHANGEADMINISTRATIVE GROUP (FYD|BOHF2]SPDLT)/CN=REOP|ENTS/CN=C[E9]C49D01445A]B541B8327DCDCD4O-JBKR|TZ[R] 6/9/20I7I:48:27PM Sink, Marla [/o=ExchangeLabs/ou=[xchangeAdministrative Group (FYD|8OHFZ33PDO)/cn=Redpient$cn=14436cd[33f147acad6%db9cb7dcfQIb'Mar|a.Sink] Miller, Anderson [/o=ExchangeLabs/ou=ExchanXeAdministrative Group (FYD|8OHFZ33PDO)/cn=Redpient$cn=5aaO6cII7O574O75afaOaO6adab86Oea-ami||erZO];Ho|man,Shei|a [/o=ExchangeLabs/ou=ExchangeAdministrative Group (FYD|8OHFZ33PDO)/cn=Redpient$cn=94a3f59574d34b769b3bd834a97IO5c5-scho|man];Nicholson, John A. [/o=ExchangeLabs/ou=ExchangpAdministrative Group (FYD|BOHF2]SPDQ]/cn=Redpient$cn=8DbO4784e0904037af6855b]26e9b943-janicho|son];Kritzer, Jamie [/o=ExchangeLabs/ou=ExchangpAdministrative Group (FYD|BOHF2]SPDQ]/cn=Redpient$cn=cee93c49dOl445a]b54lbb]27dcdc840-jbkritzer] RE: GpnXfa||out: !smywater safe todrink? Wilmington Star News Jamie Kritzer Communications Director N.C. Department of Environmental Quality 419-707-8602 IME 'oy N��h�ann0na�o�0��:nn%�Lmw/an�xnn�b��n��h7�n�Y/xa�� From: Sink, Marla Sent: Friday, June O9 201710:29AM To: Kritzer, Jamie <jamie.kritzer@ncdenrBov> Subject: FW: GenX fallout: Is my water safe to drink? - Wilmington Star News Linda is going to call Senator Lee and is very comfortable with the information and talking points. She isgoing tomake the call in the next few minutes. Thanks, Marla Marla Sink Public Information Officer Division of Water Resources 9197079033 office 512 North Salisbury Street From: Sink, Marla Sent: Friday, June U9 201710:18AK8 To: Kritzer, Jamie Subject: RE: GenX fallout: Is my water safe to drink? - Wilmington Star News Linda bover atGSi I have asked her to respond to Senator Lee but not received a response as of yet.Julie and Connie can brief her before her phone call. I will let you know as soon as I hear back. As for the 1:30 phone conference, another reporter from Wilmington WWAY TV will be on the line as well. |have reserved the conference line 919-501-4273 for this conference. Marla Sink Public Information Officer Department ofEnvironmental Quality Division ofWater Resources 9197079033 office From:Kritzer, Jamie Sent: Friday, June 09, 2017 10:13 AM To: Godrea4Jessica Culpepper, Linda Zimmerman, Jay Grzyb Julie Brower, Poupart,]eff Manning Jeff Munger, Bridget Sink, Marla Subject: RE: GenX fallout: Is my water safe to drink? - Wilmington Star News Jessica, Thank you. I've made that point with the editor of the Star News this morning and we will underline that point when we speak with the reporters this afternoon. Marla, thanks for setting that up. Are we all good with lining up response to the Senator as well? Jamie Kritzer Communications Director N.C. Department of Environmental Quality 3 he y�ub�Ca/n8naPubinReco/d,oLam/aa�,ix/aybad�o600ed6o��d�a/�sa From: Godreau, Jessica Sent: Friday, June U9 20179:54AM To: Kritzer, Jamie ; Culpepper, Linda ; Zimmerman, Jay ;Grzyb,Julie ; Brower, Connie ; Poupart,]eff Manning, Jeff MunBer,8hd8et Sink Maria Subject: RE: GenX fallout: Is my water safe to drink? - Wilmington Star News The only thing I noticed that seemed out of step with our conversation yesterday was the phrase: somethina that becomes exceed' gly difficult the associated cancer risk is unk'nown. asvvedonot know ifthere bacancer risk. The phrase certainly implies that there IS a cancer risk, but that the degree is Overall, it seemed a reasonable explanation for lay people. Jessica C Gudreau Chief, Public Water Supply Section Division ofWater Resources Department ofEnvironmental Quality 9197079078 nffioa 9197079100 mainnumber 1634 Mail Service Center Raleigh NC 27699-1634 512 N Salisbury St, Raleigh, NC 27604 'o siS, ��e N��h�ann0na�o�0��:nn%�Lmw/an�xnn�b��n��h7�n�Y/xa�� From: Kritzer, Jamie Sent: Friday, June O9 20179,48AM To: Culpepper, Linda Zimmerman, Jay 6rq/b,]u|ie ; Brower, Connie ; Gudreau,]esdca � �Poupart,Jeff <�Manning, Jeff <; Munger, Bridget Sink, Maria This story looks like a pretty decent explanation, based on our discussion yesterday. Jamie Kritzer Communications Director N.C. Department of Environmental Quality 4119-707-8602 8�r�r�aro��a�u��o�acun�aLau/ead/nayba��o�aa�bod��arb�� From: Kritzer, Jamie Sent: Friday, June 09, 2017 9:45 AM To: Hairston, Ursula HoUow/ay, Tracey Holman, Sheila Kelley, Mary Kritzer, Jamie Lance, Kathleen [ �Lane,BiUF ;Lucey John ; Miller, Anderson <; Mundt, Jennifer �Nicholson, John A. < ; Regan, Michael S Webster, Timothy J Cc: Akroyd,Cathy R Goodwin, Larry <Iarr Lucas, Jill K4 Marshall, Angela R Moore, Jerome ��un8e�8hd8et� Rudo|ph,Lex A Sink, Maria Smith Thda Tolley, Lisa Wiggins, Marty Young, Sarah Subject: GenXfaUout Is my water safe to drink? Wilmington Star News GertA fallOm"t Is my w a--- t er saafe tuo drl*i*%],kl —/\S{mNovv Investigative oknythat detailed ulittle-known ia]local d6akingvvmwrleft many Southeastern North Carolinians wondering what !othink about the water coming out their taps. The toxin ioocommercially produced compound known onQen]{ okoyingredient inTeflon, that has raised health concerns among researchers. Gon}{bo produced by Chemours Cu. atFayetteville Works, an industrial site oathe Come Fear River, about i0Omiles upstream from Wilmington, muduxkudyroccnUyGonndVe compound iuwater treated 6vthe Cape Fear Public lJdDb' Authority (CFPUA). U��d��d��}��m�dc�mk��n�W��one course of action for consumers in the Cape Fear region. Dr. Alan DooaUnm,u professor at West Virginia University's School of Public Health, said the chemical is new enough -- production started in 2009 -- that it is difficult to chart a path forward for customersand utilities. The raw water intakes for the Cape Fear Public Utility Amboritv and the Lower Cape Fear Water and Sewer Authority 6ojust * above Lock and Dam No. l'in Bladen County. Researchers sampled river water here inl0\3and found GonX,uchemical made o(the []icmoozaCo.,about 5Omiles upriver. [8TARNEWS F|LEP8OTO] Next kkle have so little data. Ducatman ,,,Tote III an email. "In the absence of data, it is easy to worry, but hard to recommend draconian measures. I would replace the drinking cooking water, and use the municipal or well water for bathing or cleaning." Quantifying the risks GcnX is difficult, said Detlel'Knappe, a N.C, State University professor who worked on the team that discovered the chemical in the Cape Fear River and CFPtJA's system. Typically, Knappe added, the risk for compounds is calculated for people who have been exposed over the course of 70 years -- something that becomes exceedingly difficult if the associated cancer risk is unknovvii. Larry Cahoon, a professor of biology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, said the EPA considers GenX an "emerging contaminant," meaning it is so new the agency does not yet have protocols to regulate it. Reverse osmosis: A water filtration process in which pressurized water is driven through a membrane. The small pores of the membrane prevent molecules any larger than the pores from getting through, The EPA has identified reverse osmosis as an effective way to filter out uranium, radium, gross alpha and beta particles and photon emitters, as well as contaminants like arsenic, nitrate and microbes. Source: EPA "Personallv I rind that really troubling ' Cahoon said. "The company (Chemours) is being allowed to conduct a really big experiment on all us 250,000 guinea pigs, without knowing whether it'll hurt us." Filtcring contaminants Cahoon said lie first learned about Knappe's research at a conference last month. "The thing I found eye-opening was his finding that the water treatment processes -- even here in Wilmington where we do a really good job -- unfortunately doesn't get these compounds out very well," he said. "They're very inert and pretty difficult to remove." One of the few water filtration methods that could filter out Genx is reverse osmosis, an expensive method not currently used at CFPtJA's Sweeney Water Treatment Plant on the Cape Fear River. "It's a kind of filter system, but it operates on a molecular level," Cahoon said.. "Reverse osmosis basically uses a V 7 sCie tive el� _ C membrane that really only allows water molecules, which are very small, to go through it and it uses water pressure that forces the water through.' Even the cheapest industrial -scale reverse osmosis systems cost tens of thousands of dollars for a single unit. A water treatment plant the size of Sweeney could require dozens of units. Cahoon said only a few small-scale water operations in the region use reverse osmosis, such as Bald Head Island, which uses it to clean wastewater. have a small enough volume going through that they can do that and it takes everything out," he said, "And again, it's expensive, but they can afrord. it." In -home solutions? One type of consumer who can afford reverse osmosis is the homeowner. Home reverse -osmosis systems can be bought for a couple hundred dollars and are highly effective if used properly. But Cahoon cautioned that people should not rush out and buy a system without doing thorough research. Often, a homeowner will DEQ-CFW-00052486 buy a reverse -osmosis SvSteM without understanding how to operate and maintain it, that could result in the system failing without the homeowners realizing it. "Informed consumers can make the right choice,"' Cahoon said. "The problem is a lot of these water filtration systems, the technical aspects oftheni are above most folks' understanding. You can be sold a whole lot or stulTwithout knowing how it's operating." At Wilmington's Tidal Creek Food Co-op, employees have noticed customers buying more packaged and reverse osmosis - filtered water. "Our water sales have increased -- I didn't know why at first," said grocery manager Eric Edwards. I guess I thought maybe it was something to do with the weather, but even today when it's 60 degrees people are still buying water." Jacqueline Lciblein, manager of'Culligan Water in Wilmington, said her call volume was up 20 percent Thursday, with many asking about filter systems that can remove GenX. "A lot of the calls are just from our customers wanting assurance to know that they equipment that they have will remove it," she said. I think a lot of people are definitely becoming aware that there's a lot of different chemicals that aren't regulated. And if you start researching how many unregulated substances arc in water, that they don't have (maximum contaminant levels), it's just kind of the tip or the iceberg," J'aughn Hagerty and Adam PVagner contributed to this report. Reporter Calninie Bellamy can be reached at 910-343-2339 or Jamie Kritzer Co N.C. Department of Environmental Quality 919-707-8602 UL�I- �*, oail DEQ-CFW-00052487