We cleaned up North Carolina’s air. Now our water is in danger | Opinion

We cleaned up the air. What about the water?

In 2002, North Carolina did an amazing thing for air quality, human health, tourism and the environment: It appropriately regulated industry.

For years, the storied Blue Ridge Mountains had slowly disappeared under a blanket of thick haze, thanks to pollutant discharge from industrial power plants. Mountaintop plants and trees died, acid rain became common, asthma rates rose and tourism suffered. Alarmed to see this jewel in the west tarnish on their watch, state legislators rolled up their sleeves and passed the Clean Smokestacks Act, a bipartisan bill that required coal-fired power plants to cut the air pollutants they spewed into the air.

And it worked. In the years following passage of the Act, the haze dissipated and health outcomes improved; vegetation and tourism flourished. Twenty-three years later, in December 2025, the NC Department of Environmental Quality released a report heralding the results of the legislation: North Carolinians are breathing the cleanest air in decades, all thanks to increased regulatory controls. A success story by any measure, and a testament to the power of smart regulation and bipartisan cooperation.

And yet…

In 2026, it seems we have forgotten those lessons. As we enjoy pristine air and congratulate ourselves on a job well done, unchecked volumes of industrial pollutants are dumped into North Carolina’s waters, every minute of every day.

In fact, our waters are contaminated top to bottom with industrial chemicals; yet-unregulated toxins that threaten catastrophic harms to people and the environment. Take 1,4 dioxane, for example. This industrial solvent is a likely human carcinogen, and causes liver and kidney damage even in low doses. If you live in the Cape Fear River basin, it’s probably in your drinking water.

Forever chemicals, or PFAS, are associated with cancer, birth defects, developmental damage to infants, and impaired functioning of the liver, kidneys, and immune system; they are ubiquitous in our waters. Despite overwhelming evidence of harm, PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) remain unregulated in North Carolina, and our people remain unprotected from them.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Years ago, we recognized the necessity of clean air and acted to protect it. Why haven’t we done the same for water?

A recent Pew Charitable Trust survey found that a staggering 70% of Americans, across age and political spectrums, feel the government is not doing enough to protect them from exposure to toxic chemicals.

The need for clean water is universal, but the quest for it skews political. Environmental and health advocates in North Carolina have been fighting for clean water and protective regulation for years, but face powerful and well-funded pro-industry forces lurking in the legislature and our rulemaking bodies. These forces control the levers of power in our state, funding political candidates who will ensure regulation remains out of reach. At best, legislators have turned a blind eye to the growing toxicity of our waters. At worst they are facilitating the process by actively protecting polluters.

But we can make a difference – right now.

We didn’t achieve cleaner air by sitting back and letting industry decide how much they can pollute; self-regulation never works for polluters. We achieved it because North Carolinians stood up and demanded better for the sake of our people, our environment, and for the natural amenities that contribute to our high quality of life. That’s why rulemakers implemented sensible regulations that prioritized people over corporate interests, benefiting the many over the few.

The NC Environmental Management Commission has voted to create “minimization” rules for 1,4 dioxane and PFAS, instead of setting meaningful, protective and enforceable limits. These proposed rules were written by industry, and don’t “minimize” the discharge of these toxic chemicals or provide regulatory limits and mechanisms for accountability. These draft rules would offer a free pass to pollute, codified into law – if we don’t act.

A 60-day public comment period is now open until June 15, giving us the opportunity to speak out against these rules, and speak up for protective limits and proper enforcement. You can submit comments on each rule via the NC DEQ website.

Chris Herndon is chapter director of the N.C. Sierra Club

This story was originally published March 26, 2026 at 12:53 PM.