Opinion Graphic
Imagine hearing that you could no longer drink water from your own home. What would you do? This happened to thousands of people in the Wilmington area who get their water from the Cape Fear River. GenX, a chemical used in the production of Teflon, has been released into the Cape Fear River by Chemours.
Companies like Chemours show that environmental justice issues can arise at any moment and anywhere. Chemours, by releasing GenX into the Cape Fear River, has violated basic human rights of access to clean water, because now thousands of residents no longer have access to clean water. The ecosystems along the Cape Fear River have also been impacted by this issue. Chemours has been forced to pay millions of dollars to research into how GenX affects humans and animals.
After legal action was taken by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Chemours is now required to keep the concentration of GenX discharges below 140 parts per trillion. This concentration is recommended by the DEQ, but this poses an ethical question, why should there be any GenX in the water at all?
Having GenX in our water, even at incredibly low concentrations, would make us uneasy. The effects of GenX on humans or animals has yet to be fully understood, which leads to the question: if you knew at least 140 parts per trillion of GenX was in your drinking water, would you drink it?
The Chemours case should matter to all humans around the world even if they were not directly affected by this instance. A company anywhere in the world could be polluting a local water supply but is unknown to the community. Having any chemical in one’s drinking water should be a concern, especially when there is very limited research on the health consequences from consuming a chemical such as GenX.
Although it is illegal to discharge more than 140 parts per trillion of GenX into the Cape Fear River, where did that number come from? How do lawmakers and environmentalists know that it is safe to drink water with even a trace of GenX?
The unknown effects on the local ecosystem should also raise concerns. If plants and animals have negative consequences from the consumption of GenX then the local ecosystem will be drastically affected and could cause even more issues. As humans, we need to realize that our actions do not just impact humankind, but the environment in which we live in. It is imperative we protect the world that we live in for future generations and future ecosystems to be able to thrive and maintain their basic necessities.
According to the utilitarian ethical view, one should make a decision for the betterment of everyone and everything involved. This view can be challenging in this situation since Chemours would believe it is for their betterment to be able to dispose chemicals into the Cape Fear River while local citizens will disagree.
We recommend Chemours discontinue all disposal of chemicals into the water supply unless they receive concrete evidence from their research that the 140 parts per trillion of GenX is in fact harmless to the consumer. Chemours would be required to find another way of disposing of their chemical in this scenario, which could be costly, but they would be able to have a better reputation in the community and in the media. This solution would allow both sides to benefit in the long run, resulting in a utilitarian decision.
Daniel Amparo is a fourth-year studying Environmental Technology and Management. Mary Ann Hylton is a third-year studying Business Administration. Sam Young is a fourth-year studying Industrial Engineering. Chad Eggers is a first-year studying Business Administration.