Last spring, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality required Chemours to expand its well testing area – originally established in 2019 – from Bladen, Cumberland, New Hanover, Sampson and Robeson counties to include Brunswick, Columbus and Pender. Beth Jacobs and her granddaughter Kasey Graham attend an informational session about water quality
The letters ask residents to test their wells for PFAS. The goal is to test the soil in the area, home to about 2,600 tribal members, for a variety of toxic elements and chemicals, including PFAS, a group of at least 5,000 “forever” chemical compounds linked to adverse health effects.įive years ago, when reports emerged about pollution in the Cape Fear River near the chemical plant Chemours at the border of Cumberland and Bladen counties, many in Columbus County thought they had nothing to worry about.īut in the last month, families across Columbus County have received letters from Chemours, which is known for making non-stick Teflon pans. Lomboy’s organization, Waccamaw Siouan STEM Studio, recently received a $25,000 Community Collaborative Research Grant that will allow children in the area to work with local scientists. It’s also home to her Native American tribe, the Waccamaw Siouan. She’s trying to gather at least 50 soil samples from eastern Columbus County, where the Cape Fear River – known to be contaminated – runs through. By Ivey Lomboy isn’t afraid to dig in her neighbors’ yards.
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