In an investigative study that feels eerily similar to a Hollywood screenplay, NBC recently released the details into their investigation claimed ground water contamination in North Carolina that the state allegedly did not notify residents of for over six years.

As the article details, the Environmental Protection Agency began calling residents in the area this past summer notifying them that their water was contaminated with an industrial cleaning solution that contained a chemical commonly known as TCE that is known to cause cancer when exposed to humans. The article further notes that the government quickly began damage control:

“the EPA set up an emergency command post and placed safe water on their doorsteps regularly. The EPA installed water filters in the homes with contamination levels above the EPA’s safety standard. And the EPA called a community meeting to explain what neighbors had been drinking.”

The details of the article, however, suggest that if the damage has already been done, then the multitude of “red flags” that the article turned up in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request suggest that various agencies may have known about this contamination for years and done nothing about it.

This article, though extremely troubling, is a must-read all the same, and certainly something all should be vigilant about. If and when these sorts of matters do lead to widespread reports of cancer or other illness and/or side effects, the ensuing litigation generally tends to be amongst the more drawn out and contentious of civil disputes, and while it’s far too soon to tell in this matter, there’s nothing to suggest that this would be any different. But the paper trail unearthed, thus far, is certainly a disturbing one that sheds enough light on the situation to give anyone pause.

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