NC lawmakers override veto of bill hobbling regulations for polluters

The Environmental Management Commission would need to give approval on rules for regulations costing less than $20 million, but Schweickert said gaining approval will be especially hard because the board has become increasingly polarized.

Supporters of the REINS Act say it increases accountability and protects businesses from burdensome regulations.

PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and 1,4-dioxane have both been linked to poor health impacts and are listed as likely carcinogens. Schweickert said PFAS is especially troubling because it’s so widespread.

“North Carolina is really ground zero for PFAS contamination,” said Schweickert. “We have 3.5 million North Carolinians with unsafe levels of PFAS in their drinking water.”

Schweickert said this is an unfortunate time for North Carolina to step back from regulating industries that impact the environment, because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is moving away from regulating polluters under the Trump administration. She said this federal trend makes state-level rules even more important.

“They have known about PFAS contamination for eight years and they have yet to pass meaningful legislation to protect community members and families from the pollution,” said Schweickert. “They can step up and they can protect people over polluters.”

Related: This town’s response to PFAS shows how government can work