There was a full house on Dec. 4 for the NC Department of Environmental Quality public hearing on the Town of Fuquay-Varina’s request for an interbasin transfer certificate to transfer up to 6.17 million gallons per day of water from the Cape Fear River Basin to the Neuse River Basin.
Around 50 community leaders and residents spoke in opposition to the request, including Cumberland County Commissioner Chair Kirk deViere with Commissioner Glenn Adams, Pavan Patel and Henry Tyson, Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin, Hope Mills Mayor Jesse Bellflowers, FCEDC President/CEO Robert Van Geons, Greater Fayetteville Chamber Government Relations Committee Chair Peter Pappas and many more. NC State Senator Tom McInnis and NC State Representative Diane Wheatley submitted written comments.
Speakers emphasized the importance of opposing this transfer, which would significantly impact the Cape Fear River Basin and the communities that depend on it as their main source of safe and reliable drinking water. The transfer of moving water would reduce river flow, threaten water availability and potentially damage vital infrastructure…