Contributed
Brian Long, Plant Manager with Chemours Fayetteville Works plant, addressed the Elizabethtown Rotary Club on Wednesday regarding GenX and the company’s efforts to reduce emissions at the plant.
Long stated that in June 2017 is when the community and the news media became concerned about the wastewater discharges at the Chemours Fayetteville Works plant. Long explained that a small component of the company’s wastewater discharge contained GenX and C3 Dimer Acid.
N.C. State University scientists were able to develop methods to detect GenX in the water of the Cape Fear River. Long said at the time, Chemours’ analytics were not able to detect it at parts per trillion.
Long explained that GenX is used to manufacture several different products.
Long said once it was learned there were traces of GenX contained in the wastewater being discharged into the river, Chemours went to work to find a workable solution.
He stressed, “We have stopped the discharge flow into Cape Fear River.”
Long said the proof of the discharge situation is in the lowered levels of GenX being reported downstream from the plant and municipalities are seeing GenX levels in the single digits.
The State Department of Health and Human Service set a standard for human health at 140 parts per trillion.
“We don’t agree with that number but, we stopped flows of wastewater into the Cape Fear River,” said Long.
He stated that as Chemours began to work to reduce the wastewater discharges, it was learned that the air emissions at the plant also contributed to GenX contamination. Long said that scrubbers in the plant’s air emissions stacks are cleaned periodically and that one of the chemicals emitted through the stacks can interact with humidity or water to form GenX. A small amount of GenX is emitted from plant stacks after the scrubbing process.
Long said in May, a two carbon adsorption units were installed in what is known as Vinyl Ethers north and PPA. The company recently broke ground on a thermal oxidizer which can be used to thermally destroy all PFAs compounds that can contribute to GenX and other PFAs. The company is investing $100 million in the unit.
Long said the water table in the area around the plant is extremely high. He explained the Chemours plant has had air emissions containing various PFA compounds for a number of years. Those PFAs adhere to water and can fall to the soil, and get into the soil and make their way into the ground water.
As a result, residents within a five mile radius of the plant, have had their private wells tested and 175 families were found to have GenX or other PFAs in their water.
Long also said that for private wells which have been found to be contaminated with GenX and other PFAs, Chemours is voluntarily installing Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filtration systems in their homes.
“It got there because of air emissions,” said Long.
Of those who have been offered a GAC system, the company has only installed 7 to 12 systems, said Long.
He said by installing the GAC system, no one is waiving any rights. Long said the company has installed similar GAC system in West Virginia and Ohio and found the systems removes all manner of compounds including GenX.
“We are making progress,” said Long.
He added that the GAC systems will be monitored and when testing indicates an increase in PFAs, GenX or other compounds, Chemours will go out and check the system sand and change the filters.
Cost is $7,000 to $10,000 to install GAC unit, according to Long.
Rotarian Wayne Schaffer asked what the half-life of GenX is and how long will it stay in the soil and water.
“It moves with water and it’s going to go where water goes,” replied Long.
He added there are studies which show how GenX affects company employees. Long said compound manufactures in the past were found to replace PFOAs which are normally found in a person’s blood. Long said that GenX does not stay in the human body but rather is passed through the body.
Finally, Long said North Carolina has performed blood tests on 30 residents who reside across from the Chemours Fayetteville Works plant with private wells which showed GenX levels greater than 140 parts per trillion. Long said some showed PFOAs which were used years ago, but none of the compounds currently used at the plant today, including GenX were found.
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