03/28/2024
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By Erin Smith

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has issued a Notice of Violation to Chemours on Monday for 18 additional compounds which have been found at the Fayetteville works facility since January 31, 2018.

According to information provided by DEQ, groundwater sampling which take place onsite showed levels of compounds which exceeded allowable limits. DEQ officials say they are exploring all of their options including civil fines and penalties.

You can read the Notice of Violation in its entirety here.

Also, in further action, DEQ also filed a proposed court order requiring Chemorus to immediately implement numerous measures to eliminate air emissions and water impacts such as those which were caused by GenX.

“We are taking this comprehensive legal action to protect communities from further impacts due to GenX contamination,” said DEQ Secretary Michael Regan. “We need to ensure that Chemours moves quickly to stop the release of these chemicals and address the impacts that have already occurred.”

The proposed order requires that Chemours must:

*Reduce facility-wide air emissions of GenX compounds by at least 97 percent by Aug. 31, 2018, with a 99 percent reduction required by Dec. 31, 2019.

*Conduct re-testing of private drinking wells on a quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis, depending on the level of GenX compounds detected in the initial round of testing.

*Provide permanent alternative water supplies or treatment systems to households impacted by groundwater contamination.

*Conduct toxicity studies relating to human health and aquatic life impacts from chemicals at the facility.

*Notify and coordinate with downstream public water utilities when an event at the facility has the potential to cause a discharge of GenX compounds into the Cape Fear River above the health goal of 140 parts per trillion.

For details on how to formally comment on the proposed order, click here.

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