Chemical giant Chemours has agreed to pay $22.5 million for illegal discharges of “forever chemicals” under a landmark agreement with the Trump administration, but the deal is getting a chilly reception from North Carolina, a state heavily affected by the company’s pollution.
The Trump administration and West Virginia announced a proposed agreement Wednesday to reduce the flow of toxic PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, from Chemours’ factories in the Mountain State, North Carolina and New Jersey. In addition to the fine, Chemours will fund up to $90 million in environmental mitigation projects, including to reduce air emissions and provide clean water for affected communities.
Hailed by the Justice Department as the first comprehensive federal settlement against a major PFAS manufacturer, the agreement finds that Chemours violated the Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and Toxic Substances Control Act.
“Through this commitment, Chemours will better control PFAS at its plants, allowing the company to continue its manufacturing operations while protecting communities in North Carolina, West Virginia and New Jersey from PFAS exposure,” Adam Gustafson, principal deputy assistant attorney general of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, said in a news release. “This agreement ensures that the company will manufacture these critical materials in a responsible manner.”
