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CAPE FEAR MEMORIAL BRIDGE CLOSURE: UPDATES, RESOURCES, AND CONTEXT

Wilmington Passes City Budget, GenX Resolution

The Wilmington City Council approved the 2017-18 budget Tuesday. The $217 million fiscal year budget includes a small property tax decrease. Before tackling the budget, the council heard from several speakers on the topic of GenX, which is why close to 200 people crowded into council chambers. 

“I’d like to make one thing abundantly clear: Beliefs and opinions about GenX’s safety or danger are not good enough, no matter where you stand on this issue …”

Wilmington resident Kalli Smith was one of three speakers who addressed the GenX problem at the city council meeting.

“GenX does not easily biodegrade and continues to impact humans, animals, the river, like I said we’ve all been exposed since the 1980s…”

Council passed a resolution Tuesday night, calling on Chemours to hold a public meeting in Wilmington by the end of July, and for the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority to review its processes for responding to new pollutants in the water. It also calls on the EPA and DEQ to move quickly with its investigation of the matter, and assure zero chemical discharge into the water.

Earlier Tuesday Chemours announced that it would stop discharging GenX in the Cape Fear River.

Mayor Bill Saffo addressed the issue as well.

“We still need the federal officials, the state officials, and the company to come here and answer all of our questions …”

Meanwhile the new city budget will take effect July 1.