Lawmakers implored to address water intrusions

Oconee’s lawmakers were urged last night to think upstream and support efforts to cleanse waters of chemicals.  Becky Hazelwood, a former Transylvania County, North Carolina resident, complained that as long ago as the middle of the last century manufacturing plants upstream from Oconee County discharged chemicals into waters that run downstream and become part of raw water that is treated into potable water.  She called them “Forever Chemicals”.  Hazelwood wants governments to further fund chemical cleanups and support legislation to accomplish that, although she said a bill aimed at that failed in the Senate.