Chemours announced it is “capturing” GenX contaminated wastewater at its Fayetteville Works facility. The company said it is working with state regulators and others to determine what steps will be taken next. There has been no discussion from the company regarding how it plans to dispose of GenX tainted wastewater.
“Chemours is working closely with regulatory agencies and local officials to address questions raised by the Wilmington, North Carolina community. On June 21, Chemours began the capture of the wastewater stream generated from fluoromonomers production at our manufacturing facility in Fayetteville, North Carolina. We are working with these stakeholders to determine the appropriate next steps,” reads a news issued by Chemours. Read the release in its entirety here.
The NC Department of Environmental Quality and the NC Department of Health and Human Services have begun taking samples of water from the Cape Fear River to be tested for the presence of a chemical know as GenX. The sampling of the river’s water will continue through this week. The samples will be sent to the EPA lab in Research Triangle Park and an independent lab located in Colorado for testing.
Chemours said last week they will stop the process of discharging wastewater contaminated with GenX into the Cape Fear River, but they did not discuss how the company planned to dispose of the wastewater in the future.
The latest news release is in response to concerns about the levels of GenX that were found in the Cape Fear River by NC State University Professor Detlef Knappe and his research team. Professor Knappe and his research team were able to trace the toxin from Fayetteville to Wilmington. The results were published in the Environmental Science and Technology Letter.
According to the study, both C-8 and GenX were found in the water. These chemicals are a case for concern as they are known to cause liver problems as well as testicular and kidney cancers.
According to reports, the Environmental Protection Agency has issued a lifetime advisory for C-8 and places an acceptable level for drinking water at 70 parts per trillion. Researchers found the amount of GenX found at CFPUA’s intake site was nine times the limit in EPA’s advisory.
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