April 25, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Rodney McCoy, H2GO Commissioner

Minority H2GO Commissioner's Statement on

Judge Charles Henry’s Superior Court Ruling

We read with great anticipation, and then major disappointment, Judge Charles Henry’s
Summary Judgement Ruling. Judge Henry serves on the North Carolina Superior Court
and ruled this week on the Town of Leland and H2GO challenge to The Town of Belville
acquiring the former assets of H2GO.
It appears that the H2GO customers in Northern Brunswick County have lost. This
political gain for Leland and the H2GO commissioner majority was achieved on the
backs of the customers of H2GO and everyone in Northern Brunswick County.
With Judge Henry’s decision, the majority Commissioners will likely regain unfettered
control of all of the H2GO assets. Based on previously stated promises by this majority
board to abandon and destroy the half-finished, aquifer sourced RO safe water solution,
just what have the customers of H2GO lost with this decision?

 H2GO customers have lost control over having the least expensive (cheapest),
and cleanest/safest drinking water available. H2GO customers will pay more for
water, with contaminants.

 H2GO customers have lost the ability to have their costs kept low through
expansion. Majority Commissioners have blocked H2GO expansion, and have
given away service areas to the town of Leland that can better be serviced by
H2GO. H2GO customers will pay even more for water.

 H2GO customers have lost the opportunity to have the cleanest drinking water,
completely free of “emerging” and other industrial contaminants. This decision
condemns H2GO customers to drink water with residual GenX, PFAS, 1,4
Dioxane and other potentially harmful contaminants, probably forever. The
health effects of these chemicals in the water are largely unknown.. Any
statement that the Cape Fear River water is safe to drink is highly questionable
The phrase “Meets or Exceeds standards” is an attempt to hide the true nature of
the potentially harmful contaminants in the drinking water. H2GO customers are
now condemned to indefinite exposure to unknown and potentially life
threatening health risks from residual industrial contaminants in the river water.

 The Town of Leland still desires the assets of H2GO. This has been Leland’s
goal all along. Acquiring H2GO would give Leland over $60 million in new assets
for no cost of which approximately $16 million is in cash to be funneled into the
general fund, and it would give Leland 10,000 new water/sewer accounts
representing 25,000 customers, all of them paying monthly water and sewer
 utility bills to Leland going forward. There, in a nutshell, is Leland’s incentive for
absorbing/acquiring H2GO, and is confirmed by their repeated past efforts. A
newsletter dated May 2015 from the Town of Leland states “The dissolution of
the local Sanitary District (H2GO) will remove a direct competitor of the Town in
providing water and sewer services in Leland and the local area.” This statement
was in support of a resolution, and attempted legislation to dissolve H2GO.
History shows us that the Town of Leland will never cease in their attempts for a
hostile takeover of H2GO. This is purely a grab at money and greed as
demonstrated in their collaboration with the current H2GO majority to allow
Leland to expand services into areas better and more logically served by H2GO.

Unfortunately for H2GO customers, both the current board majority of H2GO and the
leaders of the Town of Leland have both given clear indication that they disrespect that
$14 million investment by H2GO customers and that they intend to waste this valued
project.

While we respect the decision of Judge Henry and his reasoning for his decision, we
fear his decision will, and has already done great harm to the customers of H2GO. The
real tragedy in this ruling is that the Northern Brunswick County area is prevented from
receiving Clean, Contaminant Free drinking water, and at a lower cost than anyone else
in the area.
Here is our greatest fear as a result of Judge Henry’s decision: We fear that the
majority of the current H2GO board will prevent the residents of the district from ever
receiving Clean, Contaminant Free drinking water. This is the real tragedy of Judge
Henry’s decision. We know that without that alternate source of water coming from the
deep, contaminant-free underground aquifers, H2GO customers, rich and poor alike,
will be forced to pay more and more and more for their water.
H2GO has a truly remarkable group of employees, H2GO itself is an exceptional, multi-
award-winning organization. The employees that have made it so are highly trained and
dedicated employees that continually demonstrate their commitment to the district and
the community they serve. H2GO can provide water and sewer far better than anyone in
the Northern Brunswick County area.
As H2GO commissioners, our primary concern should be to “preserve and promote the
public health of the citizens in the Northern Brunswick County area.” With the decision
on this lawsuit, we hope our fellow commissioners will take this to heart,and do what is
right and moral by completing the only practical solution to Clean, safe contaminant free
water in this area. We are Brunswick REGIONAL Water and Sewer, we serve this
region, and our moral duty is to help insure the safety of all our customers.

- H2GO Commissioner Rodney McCoy

Contact Commissioner McCoy at rmccoy1951@gmail.com 910-520-7221

Additional note:
The discovery of GENX and other emerging industrial contaminants puts our most
vulnerable populations at definite risk. Numerous potentially hazardous compounds are
in the Cape Fear River, which is the source water for nearly all Brunswick County Public
Utility customers, including wholesale customers such as H2GO. Additionally, more
potentially harmful compounds are continually being discovered at an alarming rate.
Scientist studying the harmful contaminants in the Cape Fear River use the phrase
“Cocktail of Toxins” when describing our water source for a reason. The lead
investigator for the recent GenX blood study said that we know so little or even nothing
about wo many of the contaminants we are discovering that we put ourselves at
unnecessary risk by any exposure at all. In fact, Lower Cape Fear counties have
dramatically elevated rates of certain cancers, some of which are over 80% higher than
the average for all counties of North Carolina.