Cooper seeking $14.5M in state budget to address GenX

"Protecting the water we drink and the air we breathe is critical, and my budget recommendations will give state agencies the tools they need to continue keeping North Carolina families healthy," Cooper said in a statement. "Our administration has taken strong action to hold polluters accountable, but we need meaningful investments in water testing, permitting and scientific analysis to protect our environment statewide."

GenX, an unregulated chemical used in the production of Teflon and other materials, has been found in the Cape Fear River, which provides drinking water to Wilmington and surrounding areas, and in private wells near the Chemours plant in Bladen County that produces the chemical.

Timeline: Tracking GenX contamination in NC

Cooper said he now wants $7 million for DEQ to hire 39 people to collect and analyze water samples statewide and identify potential sources of contamination in groundwater, surface water, wastewater, soil and sediment. The appropriation also would address the backlog of wastewater permit renewals and allow the Division of Air Quality to collect rainwater and analyze potential air pollutants across the state, he said.

Another $4.4 million would help DEQ "transform the industrial permitting process and bring it into the 21st century" by providing online access and tracking for all permits, the governor said.

Cooper is seeking $1.5 million to upgrade DEQ's 27-year-old Reedy Creek Laboratory, which performs analysis for water quality, water resources, and air quality, and $1 million for new equipment and personnel to conduct analysis.

"Budgets are about priorities, and our budget request shows that our No. 1 priority is the health and safety of all North Carolinians, DEQ Secretary Michael Regan said in a statement. "We cannot do our job to the best of our ability without the technology and staff to actively monitor pollution in our state. We ask that the legislature partner with us to adequately fund DEQ for the first time in nearly a decade."

DHHS would get $536,000 under Cooper's proposal to hire health experts to identify adverse health effects due to toxic substances, as well as ways to prevent those effects.

"This budget request strengthens our ability to protect the health and safety of all North Carolinians," DHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said in a statement. "We need specialized staff to continue to address emerging trends and support our mission."