Settlement requires Chemours to reduce pollution and protect nearby drinking water supplies.
A federal settlement announced this week will require chemical company Chemours to spend more than $450 million to address pollution linked to PFAS, often called “forever chemicals,” at facilities in West Virginia, North Carolina, and New Jersey. Federal and state officials said the agreement is the first broad federal settlement involving a company that manufactures these long-lasting chemicals and is designed to reduce future pollution while helping communities affected by past releases.
The settlement was announced by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. It covers four Chemours plants where PFAS are made or used during manufacturing. These chemicals are found in many everyday home products because they resist water, grease, and stains. They are also used in industrial processes and some military equipment. Since PFAS break down very slowly, they can remain in the environment for many years, leading to growing concern about their effects on drinking water and public health, in general.
Under the agreement, Chemours is set to pay a civil penalty of $22.5 million for alleged violations of environmental laws. The company must also complete several environmentally friendly projects over the coming years that are expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars. These efforts include reducing PFAS releases into water and air, improving pollution control equipment, and providing clean drinking water to nearby communities.
Officials estimate that Chemours will spend about $90 million on programs designed to reduce PFAS discharges. Another $60 million is expected to go toward installing pollution control systems at its West Virginia facility. The company will also spend an estimated $280 million supplying treated or alternative drinking water to residents living near facilities in West Virginia and New Jersey for more than ten years. Additional work will take place at the North Carolina plant to lower releases of PFAS, and other chemicals based on recommendations from an independent engineering firm.
Government officials said the agreement allows Chemours to continue producing PFAS needed for some commercial and military products while placing tighter controls on how those chemicals are handled. The settlement is intended to reduce future pollution without shutting down manufacturing operations. According to the complaint, Chemours facilities in West Virginia, North Carolina, and New Jersey released PFAS into the Ohio River, Cape Fear River, and Delaware River in violation of environmental permits. The government also alleges the company failed to meet certain legal requirements under federal chemical safety laws at all four facilities.
The settlement does not resolve any possible responsibility involving DuPont, which previously owned the facilities for many years before Chemours became an independent company. As part of the agreement, Chemours must complete 14 projects at its West Virginia plant to reduce PFAS entering wastewater, stormwater, and groundwater. Some of those projects will include treatment systems that remove chemicals before water leaves the facility. The company must also test nearby drinking water and provide treated or replacement water when needed for residents living near plants in West Virginia and New Jersey.
The agreement also requires Chemours to control releases of GenX, a chemical used during the production of certain plastics. Each facility covered by the settlement must reduce GenX emissions by at least 99 percent. Beyond pollution controls, Chemours must strengthen leak detection and repair programs to reduce chemical emissions. The company will also certify that hazardous waste is stored according to federal requirements.
The proposed settlement has been filed in federal court and will go through a public comment period before becoming final. Federal and state officials said they believe the agreement represents a major step toward reducing PFAS pollution while protecting drinking water and nearby communities for years to come.
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US says Chemours to pay $450M to settle ‘forever chemicals’ case
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