In a story of intrigue, deception and terror, news broke yesterday (March 8, 2018) that the groundwater feeding the drinking water supply in and around Charlotte, NC is dangerously toxic.
While certainly shocking and downright scary, you have to add some outrage into the mix considering Duke Energy took steps to actually obfuscate this information.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required Duke Energy to submit reports on the impact their coal plants were having on groundwater. Rather than doing simply that, Duke Energy released a more than 20,000-page data dump on their website–likely hoping no one would actually take on the incredibly tedious job of going through this massive amount of information. However, Earthjustice attorney, Lisa Evans, did go through it. She said:
“The way Duke Energy presented its data showed a clear intent to obscure the findings. Despite Duke’s effort, we found that the data reveal levels of radium in groundwater tha far exceed EPA’s drinking water standards and that could clearly harm people who use this water for drinking.”
Radioactivity levels in groundwater around Lake Norman exceed EPA standards by 250% and are 18 times more than allowed by the state of North Carolina.
While radium is certainly dangerous–causing skin lesions, ulcerations and ultimately cancer, and its daughter, radon gas, is even more dangerous–the biggest threat to public health is the level of thallium found in the Duke Energy reports.
Thallium is a highly toxic heavy metal that is easily absorbed into the bloodstream and bones. It is highly carcinogenic and even in short-term exposure, can be fatal. And it happens to be a byproduct of burning coal.
What can Charlotteans do about this?
The article that broke this story recommends two things if you are concerned about the drinking water in your home:
- Getting a home water testing kit
- Getting a reverse osmosis water filter
While both well-intentioned, the test kit they recommend requires being sent to a lab for testing. Won’t help you when you’re thirsty today–even though it’s probably a good idea to test your water.
And the problem with reverse osmosis filters is that they actually won’t get rid of all of the heavy metals. They can be adequate at getting rid of the ambient, low levels of heavy metals you will naturally find in just about any water, but when there’s a big toxic load like this, they won’t do the trick.
The best way to filter out heavy metals is by using a Zeolite filter. These generally have to come as an additional cartridge to your in-house water filter. For example, if you buy this filter for your home, you have to get the Zeolite cartridge to add to it. It’s highly specialized and perhaps the most effective way to get rid of ALL types of water borne toxins.
Zeolite is a particular type of volcanic ash that forms when lava meets ocean water and the flora on the seafloor. It’s incredibly effective at binding with toxins, even heavy metals.
Furthermore, to detox yourself, you can ingest a zeolite formula that will bind with heavy metals in your body and flush them out. Arguably the best product on the market for that is one called CytoDetox. I sell it at the office. You can get it online as well.
Understandably, that’s a lot to recommend in your average online news article–and most people aren’t aware of the nuances of water filtration or even what a zeolite is. Luckily, detox specialists like myself are given a platform to inform the public on a deeper level about these highly specialized topics.
In that vein, please do share this article on your social networks, with friends, family and loved ones. It is unclear (so far) the extent of the damage to our groundwater and/or drinking water, or what (if anything) the authorities and responsible parties will do to fix it. So we must take matters into our own hands for the time being.
