Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1471906
WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM JUNE 29 - JULY 5, 2022 UCW 9 State Department of Environmental Quality plans remote public hearing for residents as federal guidelines for safe drinking water change due to new research. New federal standards for the safe amount of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, present in drink- ing water put an additional 1,700 wells in southern Cumberland County over the limits of a new health advisory, according to the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality. e area surrounds a plant operated by the chemical company Chemours, which produces GenX, a trade name for one PFAS. PFAS make up a large group of human-made chemicals that have been used in various consumer products since the 1950s, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. e new health advisory, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced last week, lowers the safety threshold for GenX found in drinking water from 140 parts per trillion, an interim standard established in 2016, to a final advisory of 10 ppt. Two other PFAS, Perflourooctane- sulfonic acid, or PFOS, and Per- flourooctanoic acid, or PFOA, have been lowered from 70 ppt to interim amounts of 0.004 ppt and 0.02 ppt, re- spectively. ese interim amounts will stay in place until the EPA establishes a national drinking water regulation. GenX is considered to be a replace- ment for PFOA, according to the EPA. Another PFAS, PFBS, has a final health advisory of 2,000 ppt in drinking water. PFBS is considered a replacement for PFOS. In March, Cumberland County filed a lawsuit against Chemours and its predecessor company DuPont, alleging that they "secretly pumped millions of pounds of per- and poly- fluoroalkyl substances" with a "blatant disregard" for residents in the county. In an emailed statement from April to Carolina Public Press, Chemours said the company was disappointed by Cumberland's decision to file a lawsuit. "Our discussions with the county have included offering different al- ternative water systems to qualifying county properties," the company said. "We are also working collaboratively with the county and (the Fayetteville Public Works Commission) water to connect impacted Cumberland County residents to public water where feasible." On Chemours' website, the com- pany says GenX is safe, claiming that the substance is "rapidly eliminated from the body" if incidental exposure were to occur. At Monday's Cumberland County Board of Commissioners meeting, when county officials presented information on the new EPA health advisory, board Chairman Glenn Ad- ams said the county needs to address drinking water in not just the area around the Chemours plant but in all of Cumberland County. "is is just deplorable," he said. "is is going to hit every municipality all over the state of North Carolina. … Don't think that 'Oh, that's just those folks down there.'" Last week, e News & Observer re- ported that unfinished drinking water in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill is also over the new EPA health advisory. New state orders on Chemours In light of the new EPA health advi- sory, DEQ sent a letter to Chemours, requiring the company to revise its plans, in line with the new threshold, of providing new drinking water, or new filtration, to affected residents. is update to the state's order makes the additional 1,700 well users eligible for new drinking water or new filtration. Cumberland officials at the com- missioners meeting on Monday said people who live near the plant can call Chemours at 910-678-1101 to have their water sampled. Residents can attend a remote public hearing, hosted by DEQ, on a draft permit for Che- mours at 6 p.m. ursday. e draft permit would substantially reduce the PFAS entering the Cape Fear River via contaminated groundwater, according to DEQ. New EPA standards: PFAS too high in 1,700 more Cumberland wells by BEN SESSOMS NEWS BEN SESSOMS, Carolina Public Press. COMMENTS? Editor@upand- comingweekly.com. 910-484-6200. A carbon adsorption unit is seen at Che- mours plant near Fayetteville on August 2, 2018. e company said the unit was intended to reduce air emissions. (Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits, Carolina Public Press) Two Fayetteville-born musicians are in the finals of the "NO COVER" music competition with their band, Night Spins. Josh Brocki and Manq Minniefee are Fayetteville natives. ey play music together and have attended live shows together around town. "We grew up in Fayetteville, and our parents were both in the theater together. So we're just kind of forced to be around each other. And it wasn't until high school we formed a band. We kind of developed a friendship to play music ever since," Brocki told Up & Coming Weekly. "As a teenager, every weekend, seeing metal bands and punk bands and that was a really big influence on my part, just when it comes to live music. Being able to be there at such a young age with all these wild bands playing their hearts out." Brocki went to college and met drummer Jesse Starr who knew bassist Andrew "Ace" Jernigan. ey all moved to New York and cre- ated their band. "ey're from Texas. We're from North Carolina. So southern guys in the city," Brocki said. When the pandemic started in 2020, and the band was stuck inside, not performing, Brocki said they decided to apply for the "NO COVER" competi- tion. "NO COVER" is a reality competition show on YouTube that pits "the world's top unsigned artists against each other that actually write, record and play their own original music." Celebrity judges and coaches vote for each band based on songwriting, performance, presentation and the "it" factor. Some of the judges this season include Gavin Rossdale, Alice Cooper, Lzzy Hale, Bishop Briggs and Tosin Abasi. e experience on the show started off rocky for Night Spins. ey were kicked off during episode one but were brought back by the judges in episode eight as a wildcard. During the semi- finals, many of the judges compliment- ed the band for their musicality, stage performance and their songs. Abasi told the band during episode eight that there was not much to criti- cize for the band and was surprised that they weren't bigger. Alice Cooper told them that they should stick with their sound and keep going. "I normally would say listen to your producer, but in your case, I would say produce yourselves because nobody's going to understand what you're do- ing except you," Cooper said. Brocki told Up & Coming Weekly that it was amazing to get that feedback. Night Spins' Spotify account has grown since being on the show. Brocki said they went from 7,000 listeners to 17,000 fans on the one platform alone. ey are now planning a tour in the Northeast for this summer. As tour dates get added, Brocki says they will come back and play in Fayetteville in the fall. e grand prize for "NO COVER" includes a six-figure recording contract with Sumerian Records, representa- tion from United Talent Agency and Shelter Music Group, performance slots at a Danny Wimmer Presents Mu- sic Festival, a $10,000 shopping spree from Guitar Center and brand-new gear from Gibson USA, Mesa Engi- neering, Ernie Ball, Liquid Death and Discmakers. e final episode premieres on June 29 at 9 p.m. on Sumerian Records' YouTube page. Local musicians enter finals of online music competition by HANNAH LEE FEATURE HANNAH LEE, Assistant Editor. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com. 910-484-6200. Above: A group photo of the band Night Spins. Two members of the band Night Spins were born and raised in Fayetteville. Below: Night Spins hangs out with Alice Cooper after performing a concert. (Pho- tos courtesy of Night Spins Facebook page)