Editing Wilmington, North Carolina (section)

===21st century===
Starting in the 1990s, Wilmington began to grow rapidly, partially due to the film industry and the completion of I-40.<ref name="WilmNCpedia">{{Cite web |title=Wilmington |url=https://www.ncpedia.org/wilmington |access-date=June 2, 2022 |website=NCpedia}}</ref> The city successfully annexed the areas of [[Seagate, North Carolina|Seagate]] in 1998 and [[Masonboro, North Carolina|Masonboro]] in 2000. The annexation of [[Monkey Junction, North Carolina|Monkey Junction]] was stopped in 2012 by the [[North Carolina House of Representatives]] after local backlash.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 11, 2012 |title=ONLY ON 3: 12 years after annexation, some Masonboro residents still waiting for city services |url=https://www.wwaytv3.com/only-3-12-years-after-annexation-some-masonboro-residents-still-waiting-for-city-services/ |access-date=August 16, 2022 |website=WWAYTV3 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=May 30, 2012 |title=North Carolina stops annexation of Monkey Junction |url=https://www.wwaytv3.com/north-carolina-stops-annexation-of-monkey-junction/ |access-date=August 16, 2022 |website=WWAYTV3 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2004 |title=Seagate Neighborhood Plan |url=https://www.wilmingtonnc.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/1306/635976323002300000 |access-date=August 16, 2022 |website=www.wilmingtonnc.gov}}</ref> In 2017, a chemical compound called [[GenX]], discharged by a [[Chemours]] plant near [[Fayetteville, North Carolina]], was first found to be present in the [[Cape Fear River]]; a major [[water source]] for the region. It was also revealed that the same plant had been discharging the chemical compound since 1980.<ref>{{Cite web |title=GenX Investigation |url=https://www.deq.nc.gov/news/key-issues/genx-investigation |access-date=April 10, 2024 |website=NC Department of Environmental Quality}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=PFAS |url=https://capefearriverwatch.org/genx/ |access-date=April 10, 2024 |website=Cape Fear River Watch |date=September 20, 2019 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Wagner |first1=Adam |last2=Buckland |first2=Tim |author3=GateHouse Media |date=June 15, 2017 |title=Chemours: GenX in river since 1980 |url=https://www.starnewsonline.com/story/news/environment/2017/06/15/chemours-genx-polluting-cape-fear-since-1980/20557529007/ |access-date=April 10, 2024 |website=StarNews Online |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2020, then-President [[Donald Trump]] designated Wilmington as the first [[World War II Heritage City]] in the country due to the city's contributions during the war.<ref name="WWII Heritage City"/>