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8 <br /> TALKING POINTS FOR OTHER 21 PRIORITY LEGISLATIVE ISSUES <br /> ENVIRONMENT (NCACC Legislative Advocacy Goal Category) <br /> Orange County's water systems and stormwater infrastructure are increasingly strained by <br /> contamination risks and heavier rainfall. <br /> • GOAL — Support legislation to protect clean and safe water supply and watersheds. <br /> (Strategic Plan Priority 1, Objective 6) <br /> TALKING POINTS/LOCAL IMPACT <br /> • Clean surface and groundwater are essential to agriculture, rural communities, and <br /> public health. <br /> • Preventing contamination avoids costly treatment upgrades, including PFAS <br /> mitigation. <br /> • Watershed protections reduce runoff and erosion during heavy rain events. <br /> • The Town of Pittsboro underwent some costly treatment and significant investments <br /> recently to address PFAS and other contaminants in its drinking water supply. The <br /> town installed a granular activated carbon (GAC)filtration system costing roughly$3.5 <br /> million to reduce contaminant levels and has indicated that long-term treatment <br /> solutions could exceed $20 million. In addition to infrastructure upgrades, Pittsboro <br /> has pursued legal action against companies including Chemours, DuPont, and 3M to <br /> recover costs associated with upstream contamination. See additional information at <br /> this link. <br /> • The impact on local wells of biosolids spread on local farmlands is under study but not <br /> yet understood. However, there is a growing body of research on PFAS in land- <br /> applied biosolids. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) <br /> has been studying this issue in various parts of the state. While PFAS persistence in <br /> soil is well documented, the specific impacts are still under study and not yet fully <br /> understood, particularly at the county level. See additional information on NCDEQ's <br /> study ., <br /> • GOAL — Seek legislation to expand state funding for disaster mitigation and storm <br /> resilience. <br /> TALKING POINTS/LOCAL IMPACT <br /> • Orange County's experience during Tropical Depression Chantal showed that current <br /> infrastructure cannot handle today's rainfall intensity. <br /> • 448 homes were impacted at an estimated cost of $24,164,394; 116 businesses <br /> were impacted at an estimated cost of$26,935,228; and Public Assistance Needs <br /> were estimated at a cost of $24,549,616. Emergency Services does not have an <br /> accurate count of the number of people displaced due to property damage, but the <br /> Orange County Department of Social Services reports that the number of <br /> individuals that were supported in hotels by the County and Town of Chapel Hill is <br /> 56. <br /> • State funding is needed for resilience hubs, backup power, flood mitigation, and <br /> drainage improvements. <br /> • Low income and rural residents face disproportionate vulnerability to flooding, property <br /> damage, and septic failure. <br />