Forever Chemicals - North Carolina's Toxic Tap Water

RALEIGH, NC - For decades, a North Carolina company dumped massive amounts of toxic chemicals into the Cape Fear River. These "forever chemicals" contaminated the river, air and groundwater surrounding the plant. The new WRAL Documentary, Forever Chemicals: North Carolina's Toxic Tap Water, debuts Wednesday, August 23 at 7:30 p.m. on WRAL.
The level of contamination to hundreds of thousands of people was discovered five years ago. Yet even today, thousands of people are still forced to use the contaminated water.
WRAL Investigative Documentary Reporter Cristin Severance co-reported on this important topic with Liz McLaughlin, WRAL's reporter covering climate change impacts and environmental issues.
“We spent months traveling to the contaminated areas and talking with the people still living with contaminated water,” said WRAL Investigative Documentary Reporter Cristin Severance.
“It’s shocking that people are still fighting to get clean water in North Carolina in 2023.”
It's one of the most pivotal contamination stories in the United States, and it is going on right here in our state.
"This documentary is an example of WRAL's dedication to covering crucial environmental topics that impact thousands of North Carolinians yet remain underreported," said WRAL Enterprise Executive Producer, Ashley Talley. "I'm so proud of the collaboration between our documentary team, including Cristin Severance and new award-winning photojournalist Dwayne Myers. Along with Liz McLaughlin, our climate change reporter, who shines a light on these issues year-round. This documentary is an important story that needs to be told."
The latest WRAL Doc, Forever Chemicals, shows how this contamination happened and highlights demands from families who want to know if drinking toxic water for years has led to health problems including cancer and birth defects.
Documentary Investigative Reporter: Cristin Severance
Documentary Videographer/Editor: Dwayne Myers
Co-Reporter: Liz McLaughlin
Additional Videography: Jay Jennings
Graphics: Shan Zhong
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[@BrittishCats]

One of the worst things about this is that it's all convenience chemicals. Teflon pans, waterproof fabrics, cheap foodwrappers, gortex shoes and so on is nothing necessary to human kind. Other options are avalible, sure some less effective, but maybe we need to stop being so damn overly comfy all the time.

[@tatarhead]

Another example of companies prioritizing profit over the health of people.

[@preciouscry]

I learned this all today in class.

[@shepherd4901]

This demotivates me to go to America for my further studies... feel bad for these people... Hope america remains as stable as it was during 90s... ❤❤❤

[@snowman374th]

IT'S WORLD WIDE.. WATCH DARK WATER OR LOOK IT UP.. YOU'LL SEE. NO ONE ANYWHERE IS SAFE

[@jennifertarin4707]

This isn't just an America problem. This is happening around the world.

[@junglesuperstar9270]

@@jennifertarin4707nope.

[@havabrownkittycat7107]

And yet deregulation is getting wider support.

[@yygg9786]

why on earth would they discharge it to a river!????????

[@user-ze8nr6gq2p]

This is terrible !!! Dupont/Chemours ought to be held responsible for all this !!! Pay billions out !!!!!

[@noniboalt9548]

Thank you Beth Marquesino. Bless.

[@bethmarkesino839]

Thank you for all your support and advocacy Noni!!

[@rhoja1]

sue the companies involved & the City you live in.

[@walter9724]

No such problems here in this part of Australia. Beautiful untouched remnants of the original rainforest that covered Australia 2 wells and a bore and 3 100,000 rainwater tanks of nothing but crystal clear pure water. Just show though in this video that Americans and big companies don't care.

[@mrs.natashaellwood8634]

The scary this is there are forever chemicals in the plastic water bottles they are giving her

[@yygg9786]

at this point i wonder what doesnt have forever chemicals!

[@user-ze8nr6gq2p]

WHY DID IT TAKE 44 YEARS TO DISCOVER ALL THIS ??????

[@CT-vm4gf]

It was discovered decades ago that.

[@outdoorsy01]

It was known years ago. Chose to ignore

[@sheiilablackwell1626]

My son died pf liver disease and my husband has prostate and colon canser i have kidney disease

[@user-im8oc4us9p]

If we don't make some serious life style and mind set changes now we are all going to regret it. This statement is nowhere near as urgent and chilling as it needs to be.

[@user-ze8nr6gq2p]

dear Emily, everyone living in that 'plume' area should be getting " Chelation Therapy'. It will take the PFAS, PFOA's, etc out of the body. Professionals all over the country do this procedure in their offices .Ck it out & spread the word.

[@2011hib]

Where do they think the water in bottles comes from?…. The ground beneath us. There’s no safe water.

[@catalinamarquez6937]

So everything is being contaminated means means plants vegetable food everything grow with water is being contaminated

[@user-ze8nr6gq2p]

The river can dramatically cleaned out, called 'dredgeing''/sucking out from bottom of river..esp. in the ume area.

[@yygg9786]

everything has a risk and side efect. how could they be so ignorant and put chemicals to everything!?

[@jamianjacobs5898]

Not ignorance. Prudent and diabolically planned. Toxicology on food products are always tested for safety and efficacy PRIOR to public sale. This is a big part of what the FDA does as a bureaucracy. Since these chemicals have made it into everything, who was in charge of the FDA to conclude that these poisons are somehow “safe”? Safe poison is a literal oxymoron. No such thing. The issue with lawsuits is “causation or causal factors“, associated directly with cancer. The online bots and hypocritical sycophants all agree that, a minuscule amount of a “forever chemical “ minimally consumed is not enough to definitively say that the “chemical in question “ is the sole “cause” of the alleged diseases suffered by mammals/humans beings. Okay fine. No American consumer, consumes only one contaminated product. Many corporations follow the same model of using the cheapest ingredients which coincides with poor health. When those cheap ingredients come packaged in contaminated plastics, it is an unmitigated health disaster. Why? Because advertising attacks our instincts and insecurities; masterful diabolical manipulation of the masses. We become addicted to, and we think the worst products for our health, will somehow make us healthier and happier. They make poisons affordable and conveniently accessible for all. For burgers to chips, soft drinks, and dinner ware, clothing and shoes, inside our vehicles and our carpets. This means, a little for breakfast with your coffee, at lunch and dinner daily, the 3 hours we spend inside our cars DAILY, the showers we take and the water we drink, make for a far more significant exposure rate than what the supporters of these chemicals claim. These chemicals build up in our bodies and have been proven to remain in the human body for at least 4 years from initial exposure/ingestion. This time frame is correlated with the LEGAL EXPOSURE LIMITS imposed by the FDA/EPA. However, it is nearly impossible not to consume PFAS/PFOAS because of their ubiquitous corporate popularity. Plus the agencies meant to protect the people are on the take. How many former corporate executives have taken root in the EPA and FDA? Worth a 👀. No theories. None. There exists a confluence of actions at the corporate level. Across industries, if these forever chemicals could be used , they have been and there have been little to no viable alternatives presented to the public. So, corporations have not only been greedy, they have also been complicit in keeping public health in a steadily declining state, yet science lies and says people are living longer. No. We CAN live longer, yet we don’t because everything we consume is contaminated with enough “safe and acceptable amounts” of poison. A little here and there adds up. If the consumer doesn’t actively eliminate these toxins then there is a near certainty that they will contract disease.

[@user-ze8nr6gq2p]

Sounds like another " Erin Brockovich " story. Very hurtful, even sinful that Dupont/employees did this all these years !!! State of North Carolina ought to hold the company responsible or did the State of N.C. kn of this and were paid off ???

[@bladesofdestiny]

The bottles they supply for drinking water also has plastic in them

[@yygg9786]

how can it be purified?

[@snowman374th]

WELL WHEN THE PEOPLE RISE UP AND START HOLDING THEIR EMPLOYEES ACCOUNTABLE... THEN MAYBE WE CAN HOLD THE COMPANY ACCOUNTABLE AFTER THEY STOP FIGHING FOR THAT JOB.

[@catalinamarquez6937]

Play the California to

[@Fredengle]

really thats there answer ?? I think what they do is they chose the advocate rather then claim responsibility I think they chose the advocate that makes their company be looked at with the least amount of guilt !!!!!

[@user-ze8nr6gq2p]

That is the 'plume' area.

[@user-ze8nr6gq2p]

Hey, ANDREW BOWLGARTE, how is this 'bias' video like you stated ?? pls. educate us !!

[@user-ze8nr6gq2p]

Where was the State of NC EPA all these years ??? And the federal EPA cking on this company ???? No accountability all these years ????????

[@jamianjacobs5898]

START BOYCOTTING!!!😮😮😮

[@2011hib]

How do you boycott water 🫤

[@jamianjacobs5898]

@@2011hib really?

[@jamianjacobs5898]

@@2011hib who out the chemicals into the water in the first place? That is who should be boycotted. Not the water sweet child.🧐😳🤔🫤😐🤮😵‍💫

[@andrewbowlgarte4738]

Move from toxic Michigan, then to toxic NC , and blame NC ?

[@bethmarkesino839]

Hi Andrew. I’m Beth Markesino and was featured in WRAL’s documentary about PFAS. I am part of Dr Jane Hoppin’s Genx human health study. The PFAS chemicals in my blood are the same chemicals that Chemours uses in North Carolina. These chemicals were also found in my drinking water.

[@sweeneyswildflowers5935]

#Kennedy2024 #Kennedy24

[@andrewbowlgarte4738]

Yes genx is terrible, but very bios video here

[@noniboalt9548]

Better check your water source.

[@andrewbowlgarte4738]

@@noniboalt9548 i just properly filter my water now days , no test , as I do not want to be liable for my well and loose my investment on my off grid property, if I sell