In this insightful episode of the Environmental Transformation Podcast, host Sean Grady engages in a compelling dialogue with Emily Donovan, co-founder of Clean Cape Fear, about their ongoing battle against PFAS pollution in the Cape Fear River watershed. Exploring the intricate journey from petitioning the United Nations to address human rights violations to the complex responses from major corporations like DuPont, Chemours, and Corteva, this episode sheds light on the critical environmental and health issues at stake. Emily discusses the challenges of advocating for clean water, the importance of health studies, the role of international waste shipments, and the legal efforts to hold polluters accountable. With parallels drawn to the 'Dark Waters' documentary, this episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in environmental advocacy, corporate accountability, and the fight for a healthier planet. Tune in to grasp the gravity of PFAS pollution and the resolute determination of community activists like Emily Donovan fighting on the front lines.
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#pfas #drinkingwater #pfasfree #capefear #foreverchemicals
Co-Founder of Clean Cape Fear
Emily is co-founder of Clean Cape Fear, a grassroots community group which formed in 2017 after learning DuPont/Chemours spent nearly 40 years releasing large quantities of PFAS into the drinking water supply used by over 300,000 NC residents and contaminated over 4,500 private wells near their Fayetteville manufacturing facility. Her work has helped elevate NC's PFAS contamination crisis to the national stage. She has testified before Congress twice regarding PFAS contamination. She created a lobby day effort in Washington, DC for local community members and participated in a Washington Post Live panel discussion with actor Mark Ruffalo and lawyer Rob Bilott. She helped organize and co-host two screenings of the movie, Dark Waters, in Wilmington and Raleigh featuring special guest, Mark Ruffalo--both events resulted in NC's Attorney General suing DuPont/Chemours for natural resource damages and NC's General Assembly filing a historic amount of PFAS bills during the 2021-2022 legislative session. Recently, she helped secure reverse osmosis filling stations for 49 public schools impacted by PFAS contamination in Brunswick and New Hanover counties. She is a member of the leadership team for the National PFAS Contamination Coalition and sits on various community advisory boards and coalitions working to address PFAS contamination. She frequents Washington, DC and Raleigh, NC pressuring lawmakers and regulators for quicker responses to our growing PFAS public health crisis.
Emily is also the Communications Coordinator at St. Andrews-Covenant Presbyter… Read More