Army veteran Mike Watters, age 60, resides in close proximity to the Fayetteville Works chemical plant, close enough to hear the alarms when they sound. However, this plant has faced accusations of contaminating the water supply of hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians with harmful “forever chemicals.” These chemicals, known as PFAS, do not break down in the body or the environment and are used in the manufacturing of numerous everyday products.
Despite Watters’ generally good health and nearly two decades of military service, his well-being has significantly declined since living in such close proximity to the plant for over a decade. Three years ago, he was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder that affects fewer than one in 30,000 people. This spring, he experienced a heart attack due to a massive blood clot, a potential byproduct of his disease. Watters firmly believes that these health issues are linked to the PFAS chemicals, as blood tests revealed that he had 14 times the safe amount of these compounds in his bloodstream.
Additionally, Watters suspects that the chemicals were responsible for the deaths of his three dogs, one of which, Cesar, experienced progressive fur loss and developed chemical-like burns and tumors on his back. Similar reports have emerged of pets and horses in the area falling ill and even dying as a result of long-term exposure to contaminated water. Residents of Fayetteville and other affected towns up to 90 miles away have demanded answers from the responsible plant and local officials regarding the levels of PFAS contamination.
Beth Markesino, who tragically lost her infant son in 2016 shortly after his premature birth, has become an activist and started the campaign group North Carolina Stop Gen-X In Our Water. She is advocating for a law that would require consistent medical monitoring of children and mothers for PFAS, as well as the conduction of epidemiological and toxicological studies on these chemicals. Another resident, Tom Kennedy, passed away last fall after battling breast cancer that had spread to his bones. Although his family and friends cannot definitively attribute the cancer to PFAS-laden water, they strongly believe that constant exposure to the chemicals exacerbated his illness.
In Wilmington, located more than 80 miles away from the Chemours plant, another resident named Beth Markesino has grown weary of the plant’s lackluster efforts, as well as those of the municipal and state governments, to address the contamination issue. After her infant son’s death, she established the group Stop Gen-X In Our Water. Markesino, like many residents, was unaware for most of her life that the tap water in Wilmington was unsafe. While she cannot be certain whether drinking PFAS-contaminated water caused her son’s death, growing research suggests that environmental pollutants can be transmitted from expectant mothers to their babies in utero.
The Fayetteville chemical plant allegedly knew for a long time that the waste it discharged into the air and Cape Fear River contained harmful PFAS chemicals, which have been poisoning residents in the surrounding area and even up to a 90-mile radius. These chemicals, used in nonstick cookware, raincoats, firefighting foam, and various other products, persist in the human body and the environment for extended periods. Shockingly, manufacturers of PFAS chemicals were aware of their negative effects decades before informing the public.
The Watters family lost all three of their dogs, Zeus, Loki, and Cesar, to health problems suspected to be caused by prolonged PFAS exposure. These dogs are just a few examples of animals, including horses, experiencing DNA damage and cancer due to PFAS. Mike Watters, now an activist fighting for cleaner water and accountability, settled in his current home in 2012, five years prior to the explosive news report revealing the extent of PFAS contamination in the area.
Watters resides in Gray’s Creek, located next to Cape Fear River, a critical water source for the region that supplies drinking water to hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians. Although Watters relies on a private well system for his drinking water, many residents in the area and even those in distant cities depend on the river basin for their municipal water. However, the river receives drainage from four cities and runoff from factories and farms in 29 counties, including the Chemours plant.
After conducting a water test from the Environmental Protection Agency, Watters discovered that his private well system contained 13 PFAS chemicals, likely emitted by the Chemours plant. Unfortunately, when representatives from the plant visited his property, they only tested for one chemical. Determined to obtain more comprehensive testing, Watters donated a piece of his land to the state for the installation of a large monitoring device. This device measures PFAS levels in rainwater and provides him with daily readings. Many people in the area who cannot afford expensive filtration systems have resorted to consuming only bottled water.
Farm animals and pets around the Chemours plant have experienced health issues similar to those of human residents. Watters assisted in a study of PFAS concentrations in local animals, which yielded alarming results. For instance, one horse’s blood sample showed evidence of 13 different PFAS chemicals. Cancer diagnoses in the towns earmarked by the Environmental Working Group for having high levels of PFAS in water exceed the national average rate.
Watters, along with other Fayetteville residents, is demanding that the Chemours plant accept responsibility for the widespread pollution in the area. Although the plant was ordered to address some of the damage caused to residents in its immediate vicinity, those further down the river were left to bear the burden of higher out-of-pocket expenses.
In 2020, Watters received worrisome news about his health, which is a common occurrence among individuals residing near PFAS-contaminated sites.
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