Chemours Agrees to Record Settlement for PFAS Damages in North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C.  -- Chemical manufacturer Chemours has agreed to a $590 million settlement over its toxic ‘forever chemicals’ pollution from its Fayetteville Works plant. The lawsuit included plaintiffs from 11 counties and municipalities in eastern North Carolina affected by PFAS contamination in water and soil. The settlement includes a $135 million reserve fund for clean drinking water for North Carolinians covered by the 2019 consent order. NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) has intervened on behalf of affected communities in both state and federal lawsuits against corporate polluters and in defense of the Clean Water Act. 

Following is a statement by Corinne Bell, senior attorney for Environmental Health at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council): 

“The damage that decades of PFAS pollution have caused in eastern North Carolina cannot be fully repaired. But this settlement is a major step forward in holding corporate polluters like Chemours accountable for the harm they have caused these communities. With this funding, state and local leaders can invest in clean-up efforts and clean water programs to protect our families and our natural resources. In addition to cleaning up Chemours’ existing contamination, we need to stop the flow of new forever chemical pollution.”

Background:

Chemical manufacturer DuPont, now known as Chemours, began dumping toxic “forever” chemicals more than 50 years ago into North Carolina’s waterways, which hundreds of thousands of people in eastern North Carolina use as a primary source of drinking water. The pollution continues to this day, by Chemours and other manufacturers, despite extensive research linking PFAS to cancer, infertility, and other health problems, because EMC has not taken action to hold polluters accountable. 
 

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).