HRT - Hormone Replacement Therapy in Burlington, NC

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What Causes Menopause?

The most common reason for menopause is the natural decline in a female's reproductive hormones. However, menopause can also result from the following situations:

Oophorectomy: This surgery, which removes a woman's ovaries, causes immediate menopause. Symptoms and signs of menopause in this situation can be severe, as the hormonal changes happen abruptly.

Chemotherapy: Cancer treatments like chemotherapy can induce menopause quickly, causing symptoms to appear shortly after or even during treatment.

Ovarian Insufficiency: Also called premature ovarian failure, this condition is essentially premature menopause. It happens when a woman's ovaries quit functioning before the age of 40 and can stem from genetic factors and disease. Only 1% of women suffer from premature menopause, but HRT can help protect the heart, brain, and bones.

 Human Growth Hormone Burlington, NC

Depression

If you're a woman going through menopause and find that you have become increasingly depressed, you're not alone. It's estimated that 15% of women experience depression to some degree while going through menopause. What many women don't know is that depression can start during perimenopause, or the years leading up to menopause.

Depression can be hard to diagnose, especially during perimenopause and menopause. However, if you notice the following signs, it might be time to speak with a physician:

  • Mood Swings
  • Inappropriate Guilt
  • Chronic Fatigue
  • Too Much or Too Little Sleep
  • Lack of Interest in Life
  • Overwhelming Feelings

Remember, if you're experiencing depression, you're not weak or broken - you're going through a very regular emotional experience. The good news is that with proper treatment from your doctor, depression isn't a death sentence. And with HRT and anti-aging treatment for women, depression could be the catalyst you need to enjoy a new lease on life.

 HRT For Women Burlington, NC

Hot Flashes

Hot flashes - they're one of the most well-known symptoms of menopause. Hot flashes are intense, sudden feelings of heat across a woman's upper body. Some last second, while others last minutes, making them incredibly inconvenient and uncomfortable for most women.

Symptoms of hot flashes include:

  • Sudden, Overwhelming Feeling of Heat
  • Anxiety
  • High Heart Rate
  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Dizziness

Typically, hot flashes are caused by a lack of estrogen. Low estrogen levels negatively affect a woman's hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls body temperature and appetite. Low estrogen levels cause the hypothalamus to incorrectly assume the body is too hot, dilating blood vessels to increase blood flow. Luckily, most women don't have to settle for the uncomfortable feelings that hot flashes cause. HRT treatments for women often stabilize hormones, lessening the effects of hot flashes and menopause in general.

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Mood Swings

Mood swings are common occurrences for most people - quick shifts from happy to angry and back again, triggered by a specific event. And while many people experience mood swings, they are particularly common for women going through menopause. That's because, during menopause, the female's hormones are often imbalanced. Hormone imbalances and mood swings go hand-in-hand, resulting in frequent mood changes and even symptoms like insomnia.

The rate of production of estrogen, a hormone that fluctuates during menopause, largely determines the rate of production the hormone serotonin, which regulates mood, causing mood swings.

Luckily, HRT and anti-aging treatments in Burlington, NC for women work wonders for mood swings by regulating hormone levels like estrogen. With normal hormone levels, women around the world are now learning that they don't have to settle for mood swings during menopause.

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Weight Gain

Staying fit and healthy is hard for anyone living in modern America. However, for women with hormone imbalances during perimenopause or menopause, weight gain is even more serious. Luckily, HRT treatments for women coupled with a physician-led diet can help keep weight in check. But which hormones need to be regulated?

  • Estrogen: During menopause, estrogen levels are depleted. As such, the body must search for other sources of estrogen. Because estrogen is stored in fat, your body believes it should increase fat production during menopause. Estrogen also plays a big part in insulin resistance, which can make it even harder to lose weight and keep it off.
  • Progesterone: Progesterone levels are also depleted during menopause. Progesterone depletion causes bloating and water retention, while loss of testosterone limits the body's ability to burn calories.
  • Ongoing Stress: Stress makes our bodies think that food is hard to come by, putting our bodies in "survival mode". When this happens, cortisol production is altered. When cortisol timing changes, the energy in the bloodstream is diverted toward making fat. With chronic stress, this process repeatedly happens, causing extensive weight gain during menopause.
 HRT Burlington, NC

Low Libido

Lowered sexual desire - three words most men and women hate to hear. Unfortunately, for many women in perimenopausal and menopausal states, it's just a reality of life. Thankfully, today, HRT and anti-aging treatments Burlington, NC can help women maintain a normal, healthy sex drive. But what causes low libido in women, especially as they get older?

The hormones responsible for low libido in women are progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone.

Progesterone production decreases during perimenopause, causing low sex drive in women. Lower progesterone production can also cause chronic fatigue, weight gain, and other symptoms. On the other hand, lower estrogen levels during menopause lead to vaginal dryness and even vaginal atrophy or loss of muscle tension.

Lastly, testosterone plays a role in lowered libido. And while testosterone is often grouped as a male hormone, it contributes to important health and regulatory functionality in women. A woman's testosterone serves to heighten sexual responses and enhances orgasms. When the ovaries are unable to produce sufficient levels of testosterone, it often results in a lowered sex drive.

 Hormone Replacement Burlington, NC

Vaginal Dryness

Often uncomfortable and even painful, vaginal dryness is a serious problem for sexually active women. However, like hair loss in males, vaginal dryness is very common - almost 50% of women suffer from it during menopause.

Getting older is just a part of life, but that doesn't mean you have to settle for the side effects. HRT and anti-aging treatments for women correct vaginal dryness by re-balancing estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. When supplemented with diet and healthy living, your vagina's secretions are normalized, causing discomfort to recede.

Hormone Replacement Therapy Burlington, NC

Fibroids

Uterine fibroids - they're perhaps the least-known symptom of menopause and hormone imbalances in women. That's because these growths on the uterus are often symptom-free. Unfortunately, these growths can be cancerous, presenting a danger for women as they age.

Many women will have fibroids at some point. Because they're symptomless, they're usually found during routine doctor exams. Some women only get one or two, while others may have large clusters of fibroids. Because fibroids are usually caused by hormone imbalances, hysterectomies have been used as a solution, forcing women into early menopause.

Advances in HRT and anti-aging medicine for women give females a safer, non-surgical option without having to experience menopause early. At Global Life Rejuvenation, our expert physicians will implement a customized HRT program to stabilize your hormones and reduce the risk of cancerous fibroid growth.

 HRT For Men Burlington, NC

Endometriosis

Endometriosis symptoms are much like the effects of PMS, and include pelvic pain, fatigue, cramping, and bloating. While doctors aren't entirely sure what causes this painful, uncomfortable condition, most agree that hormones - particularly xenoestrogens - play a factor.

Endometriosis symptoms are much like the effects of PMS and include pelvic pain, fatigue, cramping, and bloating. While doctors aren't entirely sure what causes this painful, uncomfortable condition, most agree that hormones - particularly xenoestrogens - play a factor.

Xenoestrogen is a hormone that is very similar to estrogen. Too much xenoestrogen is thought to stimulate endometrial tissue growth. HRT for women helps balance these hormones and, when used with a custom nutrition program, can provide relief for women across the U.S.

 Sermorelin Burlington, NC

What is Sermorelin?

Sermorelin is a synthetic hormone peptide, like GHRH, which triggers the release of growth hormones. When used under the care of a qualified physician, Sermorelin can help you lose weight, increase your energy levels, and help you feel much younger.

 HRT Burlington, NC

Benefits of Sermorelin

Human growth hormone (HGH) therapy has been used for years to treat hormone deficiencies. Unlike HGH, which directly replaces declining human growth hormone levels, Sermorelin addresses the underlying cause of decreased HGH, stimulating the pituitary gland naturally. This approach keeps the mechanisms of growth hormone production active.

  • Benefits of Sermorelin include:
  • Better Immune Function
  • Improved Physical Performance
  • More Growth Hormone Production
  • Less Body Fat
  • Build More Lean Muscle
  • Better Sleep
 Hormone Replacement Burlington, NC

What is Ipamorelin?

Ipamorelin helps to release growth hormones in a person's body by mimicking a peptide called ghrelin. Ghrelin is one of three hormones which work together to regulate the growth hormone levels released by the pituitary gland. Because Ipamorelin stimulates the body to produce growth hormone, your body won't stop its natural growth hormone production, which occurs with synthetic HGH.

Ipamorelin causes growth hormone secretion that resembles natural release patterns rather than being constantly elevated from HGH. Because ipamorelin stimulates the natural production of growth hormone, our patients can use this treatment long-term with fewer health risks.

Hormone Replacement Therapy Burlington, NC

Benefits of Ipamorelin

One of the biggest benefits of Ipamorelin is that it provides significant short and long-term benefits in age management therapies. Ipamorelin can boost a patient's overall health, wellbeing, and outlook on life.

When there is an increased concentration of growth hormone by the pituitary gland, there are positive benefits to the body. Some benefits include:

  • Powerful Anti-Aging Properties
  • More Muscle Mass
  • Less Unsightly Body Fat
  • Deep, Restful Sleep
  • Increased Athletic Performance
  • More Energy
  • Less Recovery Time for Training Sessions and Injuries
  • Enhanced Overall Wellness and Health
  • No Significant Increase in Cortisol

Your New, Youthful Lease on Life with HRT for Women

Whether you are considering our HRT and anti-aging treatments for women in Burlington, NC, we are here to help. The first step to reclaiming your life begins by contacting Global Life Rejuvenation. Our friendly, knowledgeable HRT experts can help answer your questions and walk you through our procedures. From there, we'll figure out which treatments are right for you. Before you know it, you'll be well on your way to looking and feeling better than you have in years!

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Latest News in Burlington, NC

For the second time in two months, Burlington discharged toxic 1,4-Dioxane into Haw River, Pittsboro’s drinking water supply

Update at 12:20 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26.: The Town of Pittsboro released the first sampling results for 1,4-Dioxane:The EPA has set a health advisory goal of 0.35 ppb of 1,4-Dioxane in rivers and streams and 35 ppb in drinking water. The EPA has not yet established a legally enforceable maximum level for drinking water. The 35 ppb figure is not as protective as that for rivers and streams. That’s not a scientific rationale, but a technical one: Because of the cost of upgraded treatment systems — in the tens...

Update at 12:20 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26.: The Town of Pittsboro released the first sampling results for 1,4-Dioxane:

The EPA has set a health advisory goal of 0.35 ppb of 1,4-Dioxane in rivers and streams and 35 ppb in drinking water. The EPA has not yet established a legally enforceable maximum level for drinking water. The 35 ppb figure is not as protective as that for rivers and streams. That’s not a scientific rationale, but a technical one: Because of the cost of upgraded treatment systems — in the tens of millions of dollars — most utilities could not achieve the more stringent goals.

“The Town is cautiously optimistic with these results, which indicate whether the “slug,” or concentrated area of 1,4 dioxane, has passed us and we had minimal uptake, or it is just now reaching us,” wrote town spokesman Colby Sawyer, in a press release. Additional test results are expected tomorrow. “Once we receive these results, we can determine if our 1,4 dioxane concentration is moving in a positive or negative direction.”

Update at 7:48 a.m.: Because of the uncertainty about the presence of 1,4-Dioxane in the town’s drinking water, the Town of Pittsboro and Chatham Marketplace, 480 Hillsboro St, are offering free reverse osmosis (RO) treated water to Pittsboro water customers and customers of Aqua NC who receive their water from the Town of Pittsboro. Customers may use Code 64261 to fill jugs and bottles for free. Hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.

Customers should bring jugs and bottles from home, as only a limited supply is available for purchase at the store.

The Town of Pittsboro has ramped up its drinking water testing after the City of Burlington discharged a slug of toxic chemical 1,4-Dioxane — 1,300 times the EPA’s health advisory goal — into the Haw River. It is the second time Burlington has reported contaminating Pittsboro’s drinking water supply this year.

In a press release issued late Friday afternoon, Pittsboro spokesman Colby Sawyer said Burlington officials had notified the town at 1:30 p.m. that routine testing showed high levels of 1,4-Dioxane — 459 parts per billion — had been discharged from one of its wastewater treatment plants on Sept. 14. However, Burlington officials reportedly told their Pittsboro counterparts that the test results had only arrived that day — more than a week later.

1,4-Dioxane is a “probable” carcinogen, according to federal health authorities. The chemical is used in industrial processing and as a solvent.

The source of the 1,4-Dioxane was likely one of Burlington’s industrial customers that discharges its wastewater into the city sewer system. Since traditional treatment methods don’t remove 1,4-Dioxane, the chemical passed through Burlington’s wastewater treatment plant and entered the Haw.

Burlington is 30 miles upstream of Pittsboro.

Sawyer said Pittsboro officials still don’t know if the 1,4-Dioxane has already passed by the town or has yet to arrive. “When a release of this type occurs, most of the substance flows downstream together,” Sawyer said. “The dilution and speed of travel of this bulked substance, or slug, is based on how fast and at what volume the river is flowing.”

Because Pittsboro’s contracted testing labs don’t operate on the weekends, its results won’t be back until Monday or Tuesday. Without the data, “we are unsure of what impact this release has, is having, or will have on our water system.”

Pittsboro utilities staff are drawing only the minimum amount of water from the Haw to “keep the water system functional,” Sawyer said.

The town is encouraging its water customers to conserve water by reducing or eliminating non-essential uses, such as landscape irrigation, washing vehicles and filling swimming pools.

In July, Burlington’s Southside wastewater treatment plant released 1,4-Dioxane into the Haw, albeit at lower levels — 160 ppb, or 457 times the EPA goal for rivers and streams. It took about a week for the chemical to reach Pittsboro, which at the time, detected levels in drinking water at 11.9 ppb.

In 2020, the Haw River Assembly, represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center, and the City of Burlington reached a memorandum of agreement to identify sources of 1,4-Dioxane and to reduce its discharge. Burlington has not publicly announced which of its industrial customers is responsible for the high levels of 1,4-Dioxane discharges.

Local train schedule excludes Burlington Station from two of its routes

Revised train schedule is set to start July 10 Photo by Joseph Navin | Elon News NetworkElon University professor Ryan Johnson makes his way to work on Train 71 Piedmont from Durham at 7:02 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He arrives at the Burlington train station at 7:40 a.m. and then bikes the remaining four miles to Elon’s campus where he teaches classes all day.Through talking to a Burlington train stati...

Revised train schedule is set to start July 10

Photo by Joseph Navin | Elon News Network

Elon University professor Ryan Johnson makes his way to work on Train 71 Piedmont from Durham at 7:02 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He arrives at the Burlington train station at 7:40 a.m. and then bikes the remaining four miles to Elon’s campus where he teaches classes all day.

Through talking to a Burlington train station agent, Johnson learned the train he has been taking to work for the past five years will no longer stop at Burlington on the early morning route as well as two other stops, High Point and Salisbury — as of July 10.

“I understand making things express,” Johnson said. “But when they take routes that already exist that people depend upon for commuting, and then just remove them in order to save four minutes per station — they save four minutes — it struck me as really devastating. And now I may be forced to buy a car.”

Under the new train schedule, a stop at the Burlington station will not be included on Train 71 and Train 76, which are two out of 10 of the routes. Under the current train schedule, the first train from Raleigh arrives at Burlington Station before 8 a.m. Starting July 10, the first opportunity for commuters to get off at Burlington Station will be after 11 a.m.

Town of Elon Mayor Emily Sharpe said she believes this new schedule is “a real missed opportunity” for the Department of Transportation to support commuters and improve the North Carolina rail system.

“When we're taking away the ability for decent amounts of commuters to access work or play via train, I think that's just a real disservice,” Sharpe said.

The new schedule will include 10 daily routes from Raleigh to Charlotte every day in three hours, according to a North Carolina Department of Transportation press release.

Johnson said he regularly buys a 10 one-way trip ride pass between Durham and Burlington for $68. He said using this mode of transportation to commute to work is “very cheap compared to driving” and believes without this option, equity, sustainability and access are at risk for the Elon and Burlington communities.

“As someone who’s loved the train, supports the train and wants to increase access to the train for all North Carolinians —it really shocked me,” Johnson said.

John Stehlin, a professor at University of North Carolina, Greensboro, rides the train to work during the academic year. He researches the urban political economy as it relates to transportation and said the new train schedule is an issue of “regional equity.” Burlington and Salisbury are the lowest income communities in the train route, according to U.S. Census data.

“So you're cutting off that access, and the only real train that somebody could take for a traditional nine to five employment,” Stehlin said.

Beyond this concern, Stehlin believes increasing the frequency of trains would help the environment.

“It stitches these regions together in such a fundamental way and makes it possible for people to commute between these places without adding cars to the highway, without adding carbon emissions, without adding other pollution from driving,” Stehlin said.

Sharpe said her office reached out to Amtrak and other local officials but has not received much response. Though Sharpe is disappointed, she said she understands if low ridership from the Burlington station was a factor.

“Maybe they see that there's only a certain amount of people, and to them, it's not worth it for that amount of people,” Sharpe said. “I think that's unfortunate. I certainly understand if that is part of it. But it would have been nice for there to be more of an opportunity for discussion around it, rather than a decision being made without all of the key players involved.”

Liz Macam, communications officer for NCDOT’s Rail and Integrated Mobility Divisions, said she has spoken to several people from Elon University about the changes.

“We understand that some of the changes to some of the Piedmont schedules will have a negative impact on specific riders,” Macam said. “But overall, there were a variety of competing priorities and priorities and items that had to be taken into consideration.”

This is the first time the North Carolina Department of Transportation will be changing the train schedule in five years. According to Macam, the decision to change the schedule was made based on ridership data and trends by the North Carolina Department of Transportation board.

Macam declined to comment on whether the NCDOT is saving money by making fewer stops on certain routes.

According to NCDOT, more than 500,000 people used the NC By Train service last year, which is higher ridership than the company has seen in over 30 years. NC By Train is the train service that is operated by the NCDOT and its trains are staffed by Amtrak workers.

Johnson, Sharpe and Stehlin said they hope the NCDOT will consider not removing the stops at Burlington station.

Macam declined to comment on whether the board would consider adding the Burlington train station back into the two routes it's missing from.

“What I would like to see is more accessibility, even more service, a more frequent train,” Stehlin said. “Once you start having a train every hour because so many people want to use it, then maybe you start to have a couple of express trains, right? But I don't think we're there yet. And I don't know if kind of randomly excluding certain stops is the best way to grow the ridership that would get us there.”

Burlington will curb PFAS discharges, per legal settlement with Haw River Assembly

Levels of toxic PFAS in Burlington’s wastewater have decreased more than 6,000% over the past three years and are expected to decline further, the result of a settlement agreement between the City and the Haw River Assembly finalized this week.The agreement requires Burlington ensure its current and future industrial sources control PFAS discharges before they enter the city’s treatment plants or the Haw River, according to the Southern Environmental Law Center, which represented the Haw River Assembly. The agreement requi...

Levels of toxic PFAS in Burlington’s wastewater have decreased more than 6,000% over the past three years and are expected to decline further, the result of a settlement agreement between the City and the Haw River Assembly finalized this week.

The agreement requires Burlington ensure its current and future industrial sources control PFAS discharges before they enter the city’s treatment plants or the Haw River, according to the Southern Environmental Law Center, which represented the Haw River Assembly. The agreement requires new and expanding industrial sources to disclose their use or discharge of PFAS. It also requires the city and its industrial sources to conduct extensive sampling using the latest methods to detect all PFAS, including precursor chemicals that degrade into measurable PFAS. This data will be available to the public on the city’s webpage.

Exposure to even very low levels of PFAS, short for per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, has been linked to multiple health problems, including thyroid and liver disorders, kidney and testicular cancers, immune system deficiencies, obesity, high cholesterol, and reproductive and fetal development problems. There at least 12,000 types of PFAS, and they are found in water-, stain-, and grease-resistant products, like furniture, carpeting, clothing, microwave popcorn bags and fast-food packaging. PFAS are also found in AFFF firefighting foam.

The Haw River has long been a dumping ground for PFAS pollution from upstream textile and manufacturing industries, Haw Riverkeeper Emily Sutton said.

“This agreement is a huge win for a cleaner, safer Haw River and downstream communities,” said Kelly Moser, senior attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center, in a prepared statement. “Now that we know the industrial sources of the PFAS in Burlington’s discharges, the city will take—and require its industrial sources to take—significant measures to prevent future pollution while reporting its results to the public.”

The City will also perform sampling to characterize the contribution of PFAS and other chemicals from residential customers. The City and the Haw River Assembly will continue to share sampling results, which Burlington will continue to post to its website.

A spokesperson for the City of Burlington called the agreement a “win-win for the City and HRA as well as the citizens of North Carolina residing in the Haw River watershed.”

In November 2019, the Haw River Assembly notified Burlington officials that it intended to sue over the illegal discharges of PFAS and 1,4-Dioxane, a probable carcinogen. Although PFAS and 1,4-Dioxane aren’t regulated in drinking water by the EPA or the state, the SELC argued the compounds are subject to provisions of the Clean Water Act, which covers rivers, streams and lakes.

In 2020, the parties formalized a memorandum of agreement that required Burlington to investigate potential sources of PFAS and 1,4-Dioxane that were discharging into the City’s wastewater treatment plants. The East plant, which was later found to be receiving PFAS in wastewater from industry, discharges directly into the Haw River, the drinking water supply for the Town of Pittsboro.

The South plant, which has issues with 1,4-Dioxane, discharges into Big Alamance Creek, a tributary of the Haw.

Burlington contracted with a third-party to investigate the sources of PFAS; the Haw River Assembly enlisted Duke University scientists to analyze the wastewater and identify the types of PFAS it contained.

The City pinpointed one of its industrial customers, Elevate Textiles, as its largest source of PFAS. The new settlement agreement requires the company to install a closed-loop system to capture contaminated wastewater from its production lines that make medical and military products. The new system will keep PFAS from entering Burlington’s sewer system.

Although those products require the use of PFAS, Elevate Textiles has started phasing out its use of the compounds for its other products, according to the SELC. That phase-out will be complete by June 15, 2025.

There are other known sources of PFAS that discharge to the Burlington wastewater treatment plants, including the textile manufacturer Shawmut Corporation. That company and future industrial customers will also be prohibited from discharging PFAS. (Unichem Specialty Chemicals reported it stopped production as of June 30.)

The Alamance County Landfill and the Republic Landfill are also PFAS sources. Leachate — liquid from the landfill that is collected in tanks — is sent to wastewater treatment plants. However, that leachate often contains PFAS from the disposal of consumer products. When rain falls on the landfill, it carries contaminants to the leachate system.

Reducing the amount of PFAS entering the wastewater treatment plant addresses another problem: biosolids. Utilities often contract with companies to haul off the sludge, which is then spread on agricultural fields as fertilizer. When it rains, the PFAS in the biosolids can seep into the groundwater, contaminating nearby wells — or run off the property and into creeks.

The NC Department of Environmental Quality regulates wastewater treatment plants, but the municipalities regulate their own industrial users. That arrangement can create a conflict because cities and counties depend in part on fees paid by those industries to discharge into the plants. In effect, utilities can be held economically hostage by industry, who can choose not to expand or locate in an area, and instead seek laxer regulations elsewhere.

Last week, Burlington’s South wastewater treatment plant discharged a slug of 1,4-Dioxane that measured 160 parts per billion into Big Alamance Creek — far above the state’s recommended level of 0.35 ppb for surface water. By the time the compound entered Pittsboro’s drinking water supply, concentrations downstream had been diluted to 11.9 ppb. The EPA has not established a maximum level of 1,4-Dioxane in drinking water, but has set a health advisory goal of 35 ppb. However, that level is far less protective than the goal set for the chemical in rivers and streams. Since traditional water treatment systems can’t remove the compound, utilities can’t achieve the more protective goal.

The recent incident was “a dramatic spike from previous levels reported by the city to Haw River Assembly,” according to the SELC, which ranged from less than one to a high of 14 parts per billion. “The investigation developed by SELC, Haw River Assembly, and the city to identify the city’s PFAS sources lays the groundwork for the city’s investigation into the source of the recent spike of 1,4-dioxane,” the SELC wrote.

That investigation is ongoing.

Tunnel below old Tarheel Army Missile Plant contains toxic contamination

Federal contractors believe unrelated sources also contributing to east Burlington pollutionA Cold War-era tunnel below the former Tarheel Army Missile Plant in east Burlington is a newly discovered source of toxic chemicals at the facility, according to a recent report by federal contractors. And based on sampling of a neighborhood stream, there could be other unrelated contamination sour...

Federal contractors believe unrelated sources also contributing to east Burlington pollution

A Cold War-era tunnel below the former Tarheel Army Missile Plant in east Burlington is a newly discovered source of toxic chemicals at the facility, according to a recent report by federal contractors. And based on sampling of a neighborhood stream, there could be other unrelated contamination sources near the plant that further burden the predominantly nonwhite and low-income neighborhood.

Tunnel water, soil and groundwater at the TAMP contain high levels of chemicals associated with chlorinated solvents, which were commonly used at the facility. These include TCE, PCE, benzene and vinyl chloride, all of which have been linked to cancer.

The 22-acre facility containing more a dozen dilapidated buildings and surrounded by a chain-link fence, closed in 1992. It has been vacant ever since.

NC Newsline published a special investigative series in 2021 on the history of the plant, where Western Electric conducted top-secret research and built Nike missile guidance systems on behalf of the Department of Defense.

Those weapons-related activities left serious environmental and public health hazards that still persist. A half dozen homes and duplexes abut the plant, which looms over their backyards.

The military is responsible for cleaning up the contamination below ground. David Tsui, who bought the property in 2018, is in charge of cleaning up contamination above ground, such as lead and asbestos in the buildings.

State and federal records indicate that Tsui would like to develop the site, not just for warehouse storage, but possibly apartments. To clean up the property for residential use would be a herculean — and expensive — undertaking because of the extensive pollution.

The tunnel runs north-south between Buildings 2 and 16, the latter of which backs to homes along Hilton Road. Contractors believe the tunnel is carrying contaminated groundwater from other parts of the property and discharging the pollutants beneath the neighborhood. Contractors cautioned that Tsui, or future property owners, not “dewater the tunnel” without further study. Otherwise, the tunnel would siphon more contaminated groundwater, which would need to be treated before being released. That would require a state permit, and one from the City of Burlington to send the treated water into the sewer system.

Deed restrictions currently forbid dewatering.

Hazardous vapors that off-gas from the contaminated groundwater are likely present inside many of the TAMP buildings, the report said. That’s important because Tsui has repeatedly failed to secure the site, state records show, and unhoused people live inside the buildings, whose roofs are also caving in.

Investigators have long known that contaminated groundwater has migrated from the TAMP property to beneath the neighborhood. Based on high solvent levels in the soil, the NC Department of Health and Human Services pleaded with the Army six years ago to test indoor air at nearby residences. Sampling did not occur until last year, and was not done indoors.

Outdoor sampling, which is also an acceptable testing method, was conducted near foundations of five properties. The results showed no solvent vapor levels above regulatory standards. Total petroleum hydrocarbons – a mixture of chemicals found in gasoline, fuel oil and similar products – were detected, but “there is no standard for this analyte,” the report reads, and the contractors made no further recommendations.

Solvents have entered a small, shallow stream that runs through the neighborhood and eventually feeds the Haw River, sampling data show. But based on monitoring well testing conducted last year, federal contractors believe additional sources could be contributing to the pollution. This includes two previous dry-cleaning sites, the old AT&T/Lucent building and the former Elder Hosiery Mills plant, which are within a block of the TAMP.

Federal contractors also suggested indoor air should be tested at the former Lucent building because of “vapor intrusion concerns,” according to the report.

Contractors also recommended further studies to understand the plume of underground contamination leaving the northwest portion of the TAMP that includes the Lucent property.

At many other sites contaminated with chlorinated solvents — dry cleaners, for example — the soil is excavated to eliminate the original source. If done correctly, that cuts off the contaminant flow and companies can tackle the groundwater pollution more easily.

For the TAMP site, federal contractors estimated the amount of soil to be excavated to range from 90 to 230 tons, although it could be more based on the margins of contamination. Nonetheless, these are “relatively small volumes that could be excavated quickly and effectively,” the report said.

If the site is excavated, it would be necessary to protect the neighborhood from contaminated dust and other potential pollution sources.

The NC Department of Environmental Quality approved the 2,200-page report’s findings. Next, the contractors will development cost estimates for several cleanup methods, including excavation only and excavation plus groundwater treatment. Those estimates could be finalized by the end of the year.

Burlington releases slug of 1,4-Dioxane into Haw River, enters Pittsboro drinking water

Briefs The City of Burlington’s south wastewater treatment plant released toxic 1,4-Dioxane into the Haw River, test results show, and the contamination reached Pittsboro’s drinking water supply.The Town of Pittsboro issued a press release at 9:30 Thursday night, reporting that on Monday the chemical was detected in treated drinking water at 11.9 parts per billion. The EPA has not established a maximum level of 1,4-Dioxane in drink...

Briefs

The City of Burlington’s south wastewater treatment plant released toxic 1,4-Dioxane into the Haw River, test results show, and the contamination reached Pittsboro’s drinking water supply.

The Town of Pittsboro issued a press release at 9:30 Thursday night, reporting that on Monday the chemical was detected in treated drinking water at 11.9 parts per billion. The EPA has not established a maximum level of 1,4-Dioxane in drinking water, but has set a health advisory goal of 35 ppb. However, that level is far less protective than the goal set for the chemical in rivers and streams, which is just 0.35 ppb.

Since traditional drinking water treatment can’t remove 1,4-Dioxane, it’s difficult for utilities without expensive advanced systems to meet the 0.35 ppb goal.

“It appears that a significant quantity of 1,4 dioxane was released into the Burlington wastewater treatment system and discharged into the Haw River before routine testing could indicate the presence of the substance in their discharge,” Colby Sawyer, Pittsboro’s public information officer wrote.

1,4-Dioxane is a “probable” carcinogen, according to federal health authorities.

The City of Burlington released the slug of 1,4-Dioxane into the Haw River about a week earlier than it arrived in Pittsboro. On July 17, testing showed the concentration of 1,4-Dioxane leaving the Burlington south plant was 160 ppb. A day later, the level had decreased to 86.9 ppb, and by July 19, it was 57.8 ppb.

“When a release of this type occurs, most of the substance flows downstream together,” Sawyer wrote. “The dilution and speed of travel of this bulked substance, or slug, is based on how fast and at what volume the river is flowing.”

Burlington is 30 miles upstream of Pittsboro.

The chemical entered Burlington’s wastewater treatment plant via one of the City’s industrial customers, although that company has not been publicly identified.

In 2020, the Haw River Assembly, represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center, and the City of Burlington reached a memorandum of agreement to identify sources of 1,4-Dioxane and to reduce its discharge.

Treated water recently taken from the Haw had higher levels of the chemical than water in holding tanks, which were below 2 ppb.

Test samples taken in Pittsboro on Wednesday indicate that the concentration of 1,4 dioxane in the Town’s finished water continues to decrease. That indicates the slug of 1,4-Dioxane “has likely already passed the Town’s water intake, meaning that concentrations will continue to decrease,” according to Sawyer.

However Pittsboro’s water treatment plant is drawing only the minimally required amounts from the Haw to keep the water system functional. The town is encouraging water customers within, or serviced by, the Town of Pittsboro to conserve water by reducing or eliminating non-essential water uses. These uses include landscape irrigation, washing vehicles and houses, filling pools.

“These water conservation measures are voluntary actions our customers can take to assist our water plant staff; there is no danger of losing the Town’s water supply,” Sawyer wrote.

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