# From PFAS to Helene recovery, DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson on why his ‘hard’ job is worth it.

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/due-south-6665725/from-pfas-to-helene-recovery-deq-secretary-reid-wilson-on-why-his-hard-job-is-worth-it
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/due-south-6665725/from-pfas-to-helene-recovery-deq-secretary-reid-wilson-on-why-his-hard-job-is-worth-it.md
Podcast: [Due South](https://stenobird.com/podcast/due-south-6665725)
Published: 2026-07-07T16:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://play.prx.org/listen?ge=prx_6066_0718a8cc-65b3-47fe-bae8-b56609d70b36&uf=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wunc.org%2Fpodcast%2Fdue-south%2Frss.xml
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/dovetail.prxu.org/6066/0718a8cc-65b3-47fe-bae8-b56609d70b36/260707_D_BB.wav.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/due-south-6665725/episodes/from-pfas-to-helene-recovery-deq-secretary-reid-wilson-on-why-his-hard-job-is-worth-it
Duration seconds: 3026

## Resource

0:01:00 From PFAS to Helene recovery, DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson on why his ‘hard’ job is worth it Leoneda Inge talks with Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson about the department's approach to PFAS contamination in our rivers and drinking water, repairing damaged water infrastructure after Tropical Storm Helene, environmental justice and more. Reid Wilson , Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) 0:33:00 Chasing 'blue ghosts' in the Southern Appalachians Deep in the mountains of Southern Appalachia, one firefly species gives off a steady blue glow instead of the familiar yellow blink most of us know. These insects, colloquially called “blue ghosts,” are quite elusive — to the extent that many locals have never spotted them. Researcher Dr. Jennifer Frick-Ruppert, first to publish scientific work on their biology, describes their rediscovery, rumors about their origin (hint: chemical spills and elves) and what's putting them at risk today, from habitat loss to the growing crowds drawn by their popularity. Dr. Jennifer Frick-Ruppert , Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty, Dalton Professor of Biology and Environmental Science, Brevard College

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