DEQ-CFW_00023958

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2017
S D
BILL DRAFT 2017-MH-132B [v.l] (07/25)
(THIS IS A DRAFT AND IS NOTr rR INTRODUCTION)
is i2:50:30 PM
Short Title: Appropriate Funds to Assess/lvlonitor GenX. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE EMERGENCY FUNDING SUPPORTING ONGOING
CHARACTERIZATION, MONITORING, AND ASSESSMENT OF THREATS TO
PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY FROM DISCHARGES OF GENX AND OTHER
FLOUROCHEMICALS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION L(a) The General Assembly finds that the discharge of the
flourochemical known as "GenX" into the Cape Fear River demonstrates critical funding needs
in the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Environmental
Quality to support the characterization, monitoring, and assessment by scientists, engineers,
and other professionals of the threat to public health and safety resulting from discharges of
GenX and related industrial flourochemicals. Therefore, there is appropriated from the Savings
Reserve the sum of two million four hundred fifty-five thousand dollars ($2,455,000) in
nonrecurring funds for each year of the 2017-2019 biennium to be allocated for the purposes
described below:
(1) Five hundred thirty thousand eight hundred thirty-nine dollars ($538,839) to
the Division of Public Health of the Department of Health and Human
Services to establish a Water Health and Safety unit charged with assessing
the toxicity and impact on human health of GenX and similar substances.
The unit may include a medical risk assessor, a toxicologist, an
epidemiologist or informatics expert, and a health educator.
(2) Two million one hundred forty-nine thousand five hundred sixty-nine dollars
($2,149,569) to the Division of Water Resources of the Department of
Environmental Quality to provide funding for monthly water sampling in
surface waters for GenX and to support the work of additional engineers,
environmental specialists, and scientists in the NPDES permitting program
to address the risk to public health and the environment from discharges of
unregulated compounds and to reduce permit review backlogs.
SECTION L(b) Funds allocated by this section for the 2017-2018 fiscal year shall
not revert but shall remain available for non -recurring expenses until the end of the 2018-2019
fiscal year. The Departments of Health and Human Services and Environmental Quality may
establish time -limited positions for the biennium with the funds allocated by this section.
SECTION 2. The Environmental Review Commission (ERC) shall study the
State's application of the restriction on adoption of environmental standards that are more
111111111111111111111111111111111111
DEQ-CFW 00023958

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2017
1 restrictive than federal standards set forth in G.S. 15013-19.3 The ERC shall determine whether
2 the restriction inhibit North Carolina's ability to respond to detection of emerging contaminants
3 in public water supplies, such as recent issues with GenX found in public water supplies in the
4 Cape Fear River basin. If the study determines that the limitations in G.S. 15013-19.3 prevent
5 the State from timely and appropriate responses to discharges of GenX or other compounds that
6 could create a public health risk, then the report shall make recommendations on ways to
7 ensure that the State may act promptly to mitigate or eliminate risks to public health, safety and
8 welfare from emerging contaminants. The ERC shall issue its report and recommendations no
9 later than December 31, 2017.
10 SECTION 3. This act is effective when it becomes law.
Page 2
2017-MH-132B[v.1] (07/25)
DEQ-CFW-00023959