WASHINGTON - January 16 - Tomorrow in a conference call for journalists, concerned North Carolinians will be joined by researchers from the Environmental Working Group in expressing concern that residents near DuPont’s Fayetteville plant may be at the start of a pollution saga similar to one at DuPont’s West Virginia plant. DuPont’s pollution in West Virginia has led to two federal investigations and a federal lawsuit resulting in the largest penalty of its kind, a class action lawsuit and entire towns being supplied with bottled water for drinking, cooking and bathing.

Documents to be discussed on the call show that DuPont failed to tell the public or state officials that it was polluting groundwater with its indestructible, cancer-causing chemical C8. This toxic chemical, which can be found in the blood of nearly every American, is made at DuPont’s Fayetteville plant.

Logistical details for the conference call follow.

WHAT: Conference call to ask state and federal authorities to carefully monitor DuPont’s pollution at Fayetteville now, to prevent the widespread contamination suffered by neighbors of DuPont’s Parkersburg, WV plant

WHEN: Noon EST, Tuesday, January 17, 2006

WHERE: E-mail lauren@ewg.org to obtain call-in information. This call is open to credentialed members of the press only.

WHO: Tim Kropp, PhD, Environmental Working Group
Hope Taylor-Guevara, Clean Water for North Carolina
Rick Dove, Water Keeper Alliance
Amy Kaufman, North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Project

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