GenX is produced at a Chemours facility at Fayetteville, N.C., where over the past few years the chemical has been identified by EPA and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality in the Cape Fear River, several water supplies downstream from that facility and in groundwater wells at and around the Fayetteville facility, said a letter from Kate McManus, acting director of the EPA Water Protection Division, dated Jan. 11 to Andew Harten, principal project manager-corporate remediation for Chemours.
“EPA is concerned that drinking water wells in the vicinity of the Washington Works facility may similarly be contaminated by GenX,” the letter said.
A science panel studying the health data of 70,000 residents of the Mid-Ohio Valley found a possible link between C8 and six diseases in humans.
“In addition, Chemours plans to sample four public drinking water systems and 10 private water wells at residences in the vicinity of the facility,” the statement said.
“The notification letters with access permission requests for sampling will be sent to homeowners and municipalities this month.” The EPA is requesting Chemours sample a select group of public and private drinking water supplies for GenX in the vicinity of the Washington Works.
The water supplies were chosen by EPA based upon historically high concentrations of PFOA and it is “likely that these same wells would be impacted by GenX,” the letter said.
“Each of the selected water supplies is currently being treated with granulated activated carbon for PFOA removal,” the letter said.
Local News Musical variety at Peoples Bank Theatre festival From staff reports Peoples Bank Theatre will host the Undercurrent Winter Festival on Friday and … Habitat dinner & auction The goal of home ownership for families who would otherwise struggle is what Habitat for Humanity of the Mid-Ohio … Around town Children Services Board meets today The Washington County Children Services Board will meet in regular session at … New art exhibit opening at Marietta College Chocolate delights to benefit EVE, Inc.
The chocolate covered bacon may go fast.
But if it does, there will be plenty more sweet options to sample, from … Council focuses on pedestrian safety Marietta City Council’s Streets Committee gave the go-ahead for two upcoming streets projects Wednesday.

Capetonians collect water from the Kalk Bay spring on Feb. 1; at some springs, waits can drag on for hours.
That was on Feb. 1, just after the mayor’s office here in Cape Town announced new water restrictions.
Mikhael Subotzky—Magnum Photos for TIME Millions of people around the world live without sufficient access to water.
Cape Town running out of water is like San Diego going dry.
An even grimmer scenario now looms: Day Zero, when the government will turn off the taps for most homes and businesses in the city to conserve the very last supplies.
The looming shutdown has prompted chaos, with a run not only on bottled water but also on water tanks and jerricans.
Cape Town may be the first major city to run out of water, but it won’t be the last.
In Mexico City, residents are already experiencing cuts to their piped water supply, and officials in Melbourne (another city affected by drought) warn that the city is little more than a decade away from exhausting current water supplies.
Many township residents already line up at a central tap to get their daily water supply.
But once the taps run dry, we won’t even have that.

A growing number of Northwest Indiana school districts have signed up for a free lead-in-water testing program, but several schools in communities with aging water systems appear to have missed a deadline to enroll.
The following districts operate schools listed as eligible but not participating in the Indiana Finance Authority’s free, voluntary water-testing program, records show: The School City of Hammond; Aspire Charter Academy in Gary; Charter School of the Dunes in Gary; East Chicago and Gary Lighthouse Charter Schools; Steel City Academy in Gary; Thea Bowman Leadership Academy in Gary; LaPorte Community School Corp.; and Neighbors New Vistas High School in Portage.
Some schools, including Valparaiso Community Schools and East Chicago Urban Enterprise Academy, did not participate in the IFA program because they recently conducted independent testing of drinking water, administrators said.
Exposure to lead poses serious health risks, particularly to young children and fetuses.
Even at low doses, it can cause irreversible learning disabilities and health problems.
The Indiana Finance Authority issued a report in December 2016 that found the state’s aging water infrastructure needs $2.3 billion in immediate repairs and $815 million a year in additional maintenance spending to protect human health.
East Chicago’s lead levels also have been within allowable limits when tested under the EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule, but EPA in 2016 found elevated lead levels at 18 homes while conducting a more robust type of water sampling during its investigation within the USS Lead Superfund site.
Michigan City Area Schools spokeswoman Betsy Kohn said representatives from the Indiana Geological and Water Survey visited many of the district’s buildings in mid-September — including Barker Middle School, Edgewood Elementary, Knapp Elementary, Joy Elementary, Krueger Middle School, Lake Hills Elementary, Marsh Elementary, Michigan City High School, Niemann Elementary, Ames Field, Mullen School, AK Smith Career Center and the administration building.
Hinckley, who was appointed by the state in August to take over the financially and academically strapped school district, along with a team of financial and academic experts from MGT Consulting Group, ordered the district to participate.
Additional districts enrolled in the program include Crown Point Community Schools, Hanover Community School Corp., Lake Central School Corp., Lake Ridge Schools, Lake Station Community Schools, Merrillville Community School Corp., River Forest Community School Corp., School Town of Munster, Tri-Creek School Corp., Duneland School Corp., East Porter County School Corp., MSD of Boone Township in Hebron, Portage Township Schools and Union Township School Corp.

Both versions aim to give the Department of Environment Quality access to equipment it says it needs to check water supplies for pollution.
Never miss a local story.
In the budget passed last summer, DEQ’s budget was set to be $78 million this year, and then cut to $77 million next year.
Roy Cooper.
The version of the bill that passed the House had extra money to buy the equipment DEQ says it needs – known as a mass spectrometer – and hire scientists to operate it, but Berger objected to that, saying DEQ should try to borrow one instead.
Berger said there’s equipment available that the agency can access for free.
This new version of the bill that might come up in the Senate on Wednesday doesn’t call for DEQ to buy a mass spectrometer, but it does dedicate $1 million a year for the next two years from the UNC collaboratory’s budget to work on the GenX problem.
Senate Republicans said in a news release that their bill would make available more than 100 mass spectrometers.
“The health of my constituents in Southeast North Carolina, neighbors and family depend on what we do, and I am pleased this bill will leverage the expertise of our university system’s world-renowned scientists and utilize state-of-the-art equipment that already belongs to our taxpayers to research ways to improve and protect our drinking water.” Correction: A previous version of this story said the Senate bill would provide money to the NC Policy Collaboratory.
Will Doran: 919-836-2858, @will_doran

GenX is produced at a Chemours facility at Fayetteville, N.C., where over the past few years the chemical has been identified by EPA and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality in the Cape Fear River, several water supplies downstream from that facility and in groundwater wells at and around the Fayetteville facility, said a letter from Kate McManus, acting director of the EPA Water Protection Division, dated Jan. 11 to Andrew Harten, principal project manager-corporate remediation for Chemours.
“EPA is concerned that drinking water wells in the vicinity of the Washington Works facility may similarly be contaminated by GenX,” the letter said.
“This concern is based in part upon the fact that GenX has been detected in three on-site production wells and one on-site drinking water well, at the Washington Works facility.” C8, also known as PFOA, was once used to make Teflon at the Washington Works until it was replaced with GenX, which is of the same family of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances called PFAS.
A science panel studying the health data of 70,000 residents of the Mid-Ohio Valley found a possible link between C8 and six diseases in humans.
“In addition, Chemours plans to sample four public drinking water systems and 10 private water wells at residences in the vicinity of the facility,” the statement said.
“The notification letters with access permission requests for sampling will be sent to homeowners and municipalities this month.” The EPA is requesting Chemours sample a select group of public and private drinking water supplies for GenX in the vicinity of the Washington Works.
The water supplies were chosen by EPA based upon historically high concentrations of PFOA and it is “likely that these same wells would be impacted by GenX based upon the common methods of dispersal,” the letter said.
“Each of the selected water supplies is currently being treated with granulated activated carbon for PFOA removal,” the letter said.
Local News Auction to benefit Humanity of the Mid-Ohio Valley MARIETTA — The goal of home ownership for families who would otherwise struggle is what Habitat for Humanity of … Mid-Ohio Valley weathers icy conditions Parkersburg Utility Board wants bonds for paving PARKERSBURG — With the city considering requiring utilities to post cash bonds when they dig into municipal …
Teens facing charges in Parkersburg house fire Campbell wins youth volunteer award Teen of the Week: Fleming wants to study law, help community

Pismo Beach’s long-anticipated recycled water project is going by a new name these days: Central Coast Blue.
While the new moniker is admittedly less of a mouthful than its previous name — the Regional Groundwater Sustainability Project — Pismo Beach Public Works Director Ben Fine said the rebranding also recognizes “the value water has in the distinct character of the Central Coast community.” Fine unveiled the new name at the Pismo Beach City Council meeting Tuesday.
“Our communities are taking a proactive and responsible approach to water management, leading a regional vision and effort that recognizes our community, water and future as one,” Fine said.
“This effort acknowledges the value we place on water in the Central Coast, and connects our community in closing the water gap.” Never miss a local story.
Sign up today for unlimited digital access to our website, apps, the digital newspaper and more.
The Central Coast Blue project is a unified effort between multiple agencies, including Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, the South San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District and the Oceano Community Services District.
Once completed, it will treat wastewater to be re-injected back into the groundwater basin; this will give an additional source of drinking water to residents in the South County, as well as help prevent seawater intrusion into the Santa Maria groundwater basin.
It is expected to increase municipal groundwater supplies by 60 percent and reduce the amount of treated wastewater discharged into the ocean by 77 percent.
According to a news release, the unveiling is the first in a string of upcoming program milestones, including the opening of a public advanced treatment demonstration facility this spring, development of a groundwater model, construction of a test injection well, completion of the environmental impact report and securing national and state funding support.
Kaytlyn Leslie: 805-781-7928, @kaytyleslie

Through a six-month-long fundraising stunt for his internship, Heideman Raised $4,000 that went toward providing 100 filters, allowing 100 families in the Dominican Republic to have access to clean drinking water for up to ten years.
Heideman learned about the faith-based nonprofit organization Filter of Hope, which works to provide clean drinking water while sharing the gospel, by participating in Campus Cru, a religious organization at Ball State.
Heideman said learning that 800 million people in the world don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water and that 4,000 children die every day because of unclean drinking water shocked him and further motivated him to apply for the internship.
Interns at Filter of Hope have the opportunity to visit one of the seven countries the organization sends filters to, but first they must do fundraising.
“Josh was incredibly dedicated.
"Josh understood that what he was really doing was not going on a trip, but providing as many people as he could with clean water.” Johnson said Heideman set the record for most individual donors and has “demonstrated more persistence than any other intern.” In December, Heideman traveled to the Dominican Republic to give out filters and show people how to use and maintain them through basic hygiene training sessions.
When first demonstrating how the filter works, Heideman had to drink the water to prove it was safe.
We saw a lot of confusion because in the filter, you can put dirty water, any type of water quality — even with waterborne illness and cholera — and the water comes out just as clean as American tap water,” Heideman said.
Some older people didn’t even trust it at first.” During the trip, Heideman said he was impacted by the experiences he had and the people he met.
“People live the most fulfilling life when they are seeking to serve other people.

RESIDENTS have started a campaign for the land around Hope Valley Reservoir to be opened for walkers and picnickers, fuelling a political debate that has divided the major parties ahead of the March state election.
Stephen Ross, who has lived in the area for about 20 years, said it was time for the State Government to open the gates to the reservoir.
More than 300 people have backed his call by joining a new Facebook page called “Hope Valley Reservoir — Time to open the gates”.
“It would be nice to go for a walk along the reservoir,” Mr Ross said.
Water Minister Ian Hunter this week said there had never been any official open access to Hope Valley Reservoir, and the government was opposed to changing its policy because it posed a risk to the security of safe, clean and affordable water.
He hit out at a Liberal Party promise to open the reservoir if elected in March.
“Will the Liberals fund this policy by raising SA Water bills?” Liberal candidate for Newland Richard Harvey said opening up the reservoir would allow residents to fish, kayak, cycle, hike, paddle-board or swim in it.
Newland Labor MP Tom Kenyon said the reservoir flowed directly into SA Water pipes and “we absolutely do not want any contamination there”.
The CSIRO declined to comment when asked by the NorthEastern Weekly if opening the reservoir would have the potential to contaminate water.
Reservoirs at the Barossa Valley, Mt Bold and Mt Crawford are open to the public, but Happy Valley, Kangaroo Creek, Little Para, Millbrook and Myponga are all off limits.

One of the main items on the agenda is reviewing current legislation around safe drinking water in First Nations communities, which the assembly wants to see repealed and discussing a way forward with the federal government.
Looking to build on success Speaking about commitments from Ottawa, many people highlighted the recent promise from Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpott to eliminate all long-term boil water advisories in First Nations by March 2021.
Attached to that announcement was an acknowledgement of 91 long-term drinking water advisories in communities throughout Canada.
regional chief for the Assembly of First Nations, new legislation should help to address those infrastructure needs.
And I think that’s an important part for legislation, for anything that concerns Indigenous people," he said.
Teegee says he’s looking forward to having people share their stories of success, like the work done by Nadleh Whut’en to codify their water laws.
‘We’ve got a lot of work ahead’ While legislation may be top of mind, so too is reconciliation.
For Teegee, access to safe drinking water is an important part of reconciliation and water, but it’s also about a lot more than that.
Not once in my research have I seen a form of government acknowledge Mother Earth and how she sustains all life.
One of our most sacred sources of life.

Even though the latest GenX test results show levels below the state’s health goal of 140 parts per trillion, just one part is too much for one Wilmington man.
Spending months at Ground Zero is taking its toll.
"I was wanting to protect my family when I first found out about GenX so I was able to go out and drill a well," Kadnar said.
CFPUA’s Environmental Management Director Beth Eckhert sent Kadnar a letter once CFPUA got wind of Kadnar’s new $6,000 well.
"It has been reiterated more than once to me that I am not allowed or none of us are allowed to disconnect from their water source," Kadnar said.
Kadnar said.
"Public water systems provide both fire protection and water for drinking," CFPUA spokesperson Peg Hall Williams said.
These are public health and environmental issues."
Williams added: "Our ordinance does’t allow customers who are already connected to the system to disconnect.
He received a letter from CFPUA executive Jim Fletchner in October stating his request to disconnect was denied per CFPUA’s ordinance.