DEQ-CFW_00081942

From: Dukes, Tyler [[e-mail]]
Sent: 8/9/2017 8:57:47 PM
To: Kritzer, Jamie [/o=ExchangeLabs/ou=Exchange Administrative Group
(FYDIBOHF23SPDLT)/cn=Recipients/cn=cee93c49dOl445a3b541bb327dcdc840-jbkritzer]
Subject: FW: News Release: Senators Respond to Cooper Administration's Appropriations Request on GenX
Attachments: Letter to Gov Cooper on GenX-8.9.17.pdf
Hey Jamie,
Wanted to touch base with you about this letter from the Senate regarding DEQ's handling of GenX. Does the
department have any comment?
From: Amy Auth (President Pro Tem's Office) [mailto:[e-mail]]
Sent: Wednesday, August 09, 2017 4:38 PM
To: Amy Auth (President Pro Tem's Office) <[e-mail]>
Cc: Shelly Carver (President Pro Tem's Office) <[e-mail]>
Subject: News Release: Senators Respond to Cooper Administration's Appropriations Request on GenX
*—
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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Amy Auth
August 9, 2017
Senators Respond to Cooper Administration's
Appropriations Request on GenX
Raleigh, N.C. — The co-chairs of the Senate Committee on Agriculture / Environment / Natural Resources and
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Natural, and Economic Resources, as well as senators
representing the lower Cape Fear region responded Wednesday to a request from Gov. Roy Cooper's
administration for an additional appropriation to monitor and study GenX. Below is the text of the letter:
Dear Gov. Cooper:
We are writing to acknowledge receipt of an August 8 letter from your Department of Environmental Quality
(DEQ) and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) secretaries. We are deeply concerned by recent
news reports about the discharge of GenX in the Cape Fear River and share your commitment to ensuring our
neighbors in the lower Cape Fear region have clean, safe drinking water.
While we review your administration's request for a roughly $2.58 million additional appropriation, we also
want to address recent news reports that have called attention to multiple inconsistencies in your
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administration's handling of this crisis. In order to better understand the timing and rationale for what looks like
a reversal of course on several fronts, we request answers to the following questions:
• When was the first instance anyone from your administration discussed GenX in the Cape Fear River
with Chemours or anyone else?
• At any time did DEQ know about and/or approve the discharge of GenX? If not, please explain the
information related in a June 29 news report stating, "state regulators said Chemours informed them in
its most recent discharge permit application and `all previous applications' that it was releasing GenX
and other related substances from the Fayetteville Works plant into the Cape Fear River, a process that
has occurred since 1980. "
• DEQ Secretary Michael Regan has publicly said Chemours did not break the law. In light of this, why
are you requesting an investigation from the State Bureau of Investigation? What exactly is the SBI
investigating?
• Your administration said in June that the safe level of GenX in drinking water was 70,909 parts per
trillion. Then, just one month later, your department revised the safe level to 140 parts per trillion — 500
times less than the original projection. What is the explanation for this change? Are there scientific
studies or reports that support this change? Please identify those reports.
• In June, DEQ said all discharges of GenX at the Chemours plant had stopped. But water sampling in
July found concentrations of GenX — concentrations still above the level deemed to be safe. Can the
public have confidence in DEQ when it says this chemical is no longer being discharged in the water?
What assurances can you give that it has stopped and when?
• Are you aware that your administration does not need to wait for the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) to set regulatory standards for GenX or other constituents? Are you aware that DEQ already
regulates a number of chemicals without federal standards?
• Are you aware that modifications made to G.S. 15013-19.3 in Session Law 2011-398 allow your
administration to adopt any rule necessary to address "a serious and unforeseen threat to the public
health, safety, or welfare?"
• We understand DEQ recently received a federal criminal subpoena from the U.S. Attorney's Office of
the Eastern District of North Carolina. Have any other agencies or individuals in the Executive Branch
received a similar subpoena? Has the governor's office received a subpoena in this matter? For the
purposes of transparency, would your administration be willing to share all the public documents that
will be submitted to the U.S. Attorney as a result of these subpoena(s)?
In addition, we need more information in order to make a well-informed decision on how any additional
appropriations could make a meaningful difference in water quality and public safety in the lower Cape Fear
region. We are hopeful that you intend to target resources to make a difference rather than simply improve
public relations. To that end, we ask that you provide answers to the following questions:
• Given that Chemours previously announced it will voluntarily discontinue discharging GenX into the
Cape Fear River, how will additional funding for DEQ and DHHS affect the dumping of GenX into the
river?
• What specific use of the requested funds will be directed to improving water quality in areas already
affected by GenX? How will that use of funds affect water quality in areas already affected?
• Why has DEQ not issued a Notice of Violation (NOV) under the Clean Water Act to
Chemours? Regarding the costs for long-term water sampling for GenX, are you suggesting that
Chemours should not be required to bear these costs as a result of the settlement of the NOV?
• Regarding the request for additional staff for DEQ, we know the department currently employs many
individuals that perform non -regulatory functions not involving the implementation of federal or state
environmental quality programs. An example of this is the "Office of Innovation" that was just created
by Secretary Regan. Rather than using taxpayer funds to create additional government employees, could
some of these individuals performing non -regulatory duties be shifted to assist with the permitting
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backlog and other regulatory functions that have been neglected?
• Regarding the request for additional staff for DIIHS, we know both DEQ and DHHS currently employ
accomplished and well -respected toxicologists that have been protecting North Carolinians for decades.
Can you explain why these existing toxicologists are no longer able to satisfactorily perform this
function under the supervision of your cabinet secretaries, and the need to create a new "Science
Advisory Board" to supervise their work?
It is our belief the public should receive answers to these important questions. Given that the General Assembly
will now be coming back into session within little more than a week, a swift response will help ensure we
consider your answers as part of the review process. Please send answers to these questions to us by 5:00 p.m.
on Monday, August 14.
Sincerely,
Sen. Bill Cook
Co -Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture / Environment / Natural Resources
Co -Chairman, Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Natural, and Economic Resources
Sen. Rick Gunn
Co -Chairman, Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Natural, and Economic Resources
Sen. Michael Lee
Senator for District 9 (New Hanover County)
Sen. Bill Rabon
Senator for District 8 (Bladen, Brunswick, New Hanover, Pender Counties)
Sen. Norm Sanderson
Co -Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture / Environment / Natural Resources
Sen. Trudy Wade
Co -Chairman, Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Natural, and Economic Resources
Sen. Andy Wells
Co -Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture / Environment / Natural Resources
CC: Secretary Michael Regan
Secretary Mandy Cohen
Senate Leader Phil Berger
Speaker Tim Moore
-Copy of Letter Attached -
ME
DEQ-CFW-00081944