DEQ provides update to the Bladen County commissioners

ELIZABETHTOWN — Commissioners for Bladen County were updated by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality on Monday evening.

Michael Scott, director of waste management with DEQ, addressed the board and its questions for about 30 minutes. He updated the board on GenX and PFAS in Bladen County.

PFAS is an acronym for per- and polyfluoroakyl substances. His report addressed those and GenX, a trade name for C3 dimer acid, a compound used in the manufacture of products such as food packaging and nonstick coatings. It’s also a byproduct of certain manufacturing processes.

Scott also talked about the significance of November letters authored by DEQ; updates at the federal level that the Environmental Protection Agency is doing; and ongoing work as prescribed by a court order as it relates to groundwater sampling, water resources, and air quality.

The consent order Scott referenced was issued by Judge Douglas Sasser and is binding for Chemours, DEQ, environmental group Cape Fear River Watch, and the Southern Environmental Law Center. The order has several requirements, including for Chemours to reduce its air emissions of GenX compounds by more than 99 percent.

In other matters:

• A revaluation public hearing was held to receive comments on the 2022 Schedule of Values, Standards and Rules. There were no members of the county to come forward for comment.

• Logan Parsons, with LKC Engineering, addressed the board on a project installing roughly 28 miles of water lines in the county. Construction is done. Left to do now is finalizing paperwork to certify lines, and training county staff. That process will continue for a few weeks, Parsons said. The board unanimously approved a change order and an amendment as requested.

• A resolution in support of individual freedom over personal vaccination status failed. Those voting against included Republican Dr. Danny Ellis and Democrats Michael Cogdell, Mark Gillespie, Arthur Bullock and Dr. Ophelia Munn-Goins.

• On the matter of requesting the General Assembly to enact legislation prohibiting the discharge of firearms on or across any highway in Bladen County, eight board members — all but Cogdell — voted in favor.

• In the board’s annual selection of leadership, Ray Britt was chosen as chairman and Rodney Hester as vice chairman. Both are Republicans; Britt is an at-large member of the board and Hester represents District 2. Britt was also chairman in 2018 and 2020. He succeeds Republican Charles Ray Peterson; Hester succeeded Gillespie.