Executive Watch: Scientists Fill Out Science Panel

It took a while, but the new Secretaries’ Scientific Advisory Board membership has been filled — with 15 genuine scientists.

The appointments, by the NC Departments of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Health and Human Services (HHS), include the lead researcher for the paper which revealed the presence of toxic GenX in the Cape Fear River. Other appointees include experts in toxicology, engineering, and public health. DEQ Secretary Michael Regan said, “The panel we’ve assembled will provide vital long-term scientific guidance on how to best protect public health and the environment from emerging chemical compounds.”

CIB last week noted that the board’s chair will be Jamie Bartram, described as a “distinguished UNC professor who has written about the Flint water crisis and other drinking water contamination issues.” Bartram was founding director of The Water Institute, a division of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health, which studies water quality issues around the world.

This new cross-department Scientific Advisory Board will review environmental contaminants, assist in identifying emerging threats, and consult on potential regulations. It will meet at least six times annually. Its first meeting, which will be open to the public, is set for today (Monday, October 23), from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Ground Floor Hearing Room of the Archdale Building, 512 N. Salisbury Street in Raleigh.

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