PFAS

An aerial view of the Chemours plant

EPA withdraws consent for Chemours to export GenX from Netherlands to Fayetteville

BY: - November 29, 2023

This is a developing story and will be updated. The EPA has withdrawn its conditional consent for Chemours to export wastewater shipments containing GenX from its Dordrecht Works facility in the Netherlands to its Fayetteville, N.C., facility, the agency announced Wednesday afternoon. In its application to the EPA, Chemours had overstated the amount of imported […]

An aerial view of the Chemours plant

UN panel alleges Chemours is violating human rights of North Carolinians with toxic PFAS

BY: - November 28, 2023

DuPont and two of its spinoff companies, Chemours and Corteva, allegedly violated the human rights of hundreds of thousands of people living in the Lower Cape Fear River Basin, routinely discharging toxic PFAS into the region’s drinking water supplies, a United Nations panel announced this past weekend. “DuPont and Chemours facilities have significantly contributed to […]

A photo of the UNC-CH bell tower.

Weekend reads: The value of a degree, Chancellor eyes future, voter rolls look different and more

BY: - November 19, 2023

New study looks at “return on investment” of a UNC System education By Joe Killian Politically controversial, the study seeks to demonstrate the monetary value of higher education A controversial report on the “return on investment” of a UNC System education is on its way to the North Carolina General Assembly, which required the system […]

A map hows the private drinking water wells that have been sampled near the Sampson County landfill near the Snow Hill community. The six red dots indicate wells with PFAS levels above the EPA's proposed drinking water standards. Yellow dots signify PFAS were detected but not above those proposed standards. Green means no PFAS were detected. There are two old unlined landfills and a lined operating landfill in this community along Highway 24 in Roseboro.

Homes near Sampson County landfill on bottled water after PFAS detections

BY: - November 17, 2023

Sampson County residents who want the state to sample their drinking water well can call 919-707-8200. Six households in Snow Hill, a predominantly Black community in Sampson County, are receiving bottled water from the state after sampling showed their drinking water wells contained elevated levels of toxic PFAS. While five of these homes are near […]

a map showing a line from the Neterlands to North Carolina

EPA reexamining importation of harmful chemical wastewater to North Carolina

BY: - November 7, 2023

This is a developing story and has been updated to include comments from Gov. Roy Cooper. The federal EPA is reviewing its previous authorization of imports of GenX wastewater from the Netherlands to Chemours’ Fayetteville Works plant in North Carolina, according to an EPA official. That authorization was first reported by NC Newsline. “In response […]

a map showing a line from the Neterlands to North Carolina

EPA explains why it authorized imports of GenX from Netherlands to NC

BY: - October 27, 2023

Oct. 30, 5:19 p.m.: This story has been updated with comments from Chemours. Newsline originally contacted the long-time spokesperson and received no response. That spokesperson retired earlier this month. The EPA had no legal authority to block exports of GenX wastewater from the Netherlands to North Carolina, the agency said this week, because of an […]

An aerial photo of semi trucks dumping garbage at the Sampson County landfill.

DEQ sampling drinking water wells near Sampson County landfill for PFAS

BY: - October 26, 2023

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality is sampling private wells near the Sampson County landfill to assess potential PFAS contamination in the drinking water, a DEQ spokesperson has confirmed. Meanwhile, the Biden Administration announced it is awarding $1 million to the state health department to address private well contamination throughout Sampson County. Residents whose wells […]

a map showing a line from the Neterlands to North Carolina

EPA okays Chemours request to export GenX from the Netherlands to Fayetteville Works plant

BY: - October 18, 2023

The Chemours Fayetteville Works plant can import up to 4 million pounds of GenX from the company’s Netherlands facility over the next year, according to an EPA letter authorizing the shipments — 220 times the amount exported in 2014. The GenX will originate at the Chemours plant in Dordrecht. The facility could export as many […]

a child gets water from a kitchen tap

More NC utilities are detecting PFAS in drinking water, but some aren’t telling their customers

BY: - September 27, 2023

Nearly a dozen public water systems in North Carolina, including four that had never previously reported PFAS in their drinking water, have detected levels of the toxic compound above the EPA’s proposed maximum contaminant level. And there is no state or federal requirement that these public water systems inform their customers of the results, leaving […]

two firefighters spray foam from a large hose

State budget includes money for PFAS, higher fees for electric cars, DEQ bonuses for speed

BY: - September 22, 2023

More than $55 million is included in the state budget to address PFAS contamination in drinking water, but given the vast scope of the problem in North Carolina, the money won’t go that far. The Cape Fear Public Utility Authority in Wilmington would receive $35 million: Roughly half is allocated for public water extensions to private […]

Burlington will curb PFAS discharges, per legal settlement with Haw River Assembly

BY: - August 2, 2023

Levels of toxic PFAS in Burlington’s wastewater have decreased more than 6,000% over the past three years and are expected to decline further, the result of a settlement agreement between the City and the Haw River Assembly finalized this week. The agreement requires Burlington ensure its current and future industrial sources control PFAS discharges before […]

NC State Capitol (Photo: Clayton Henkel)

Weekend reads: A conservative push to remake NC schools, budget stalls, and PFAS river worries

BY: - July 16, 2023

1. As UNC-Chapel Hill announces free tuition, political appointees raise questions, push back Campus Board of Trustees and UNC System Board of Governors weren’t informed, members said By Joe Killian When UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz announced last week the university would begin providing free tuition and required fees for students whose families make less […]