NC AG Jackson, DEQ reach $590M settlement with chemical firms over PFAS

The state of North Carolina has reached a $590 million settlement with three chemical manufacturing companies to resolve lawsuits over dumping forever chemicals into rivers.

The deal, announced Thursday, is the largest total environmental damages recovery in state history, according to Attorney General Jeff Jackson’s office. It comes just days before Jackson and his staff were scheduled to argue in the state Supreme Court against chemical manufacturers Chemours, DuPont, and Corteva.

Chemours, formerly part of DuPont, has been manufacturing chemicals on the Cape Fear River near Fayetteville for decades. In 2017, scientists discovered that the toxic chemical GenX and other PFAS — sometimes known as “forever chemicals” because of their persistence in the environment — were being released from the plant into the river. Studies have linked PFAS to higher rates of certain types of cancer, thyroid disorders, and reproductive problems.

More than 500,000 residents of southeastern North Carolina receive their drinking water from the Cape Fear River.

In late June, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a proposed $450 million settlement agreement with Chemours to resolve environmental violations related to PFAS at plants in West Virginia and New Jersey, and at Fayetteville Works in North Carolina.

Jackson criticized (opens in a new tab) that proposal, calling it a “backroom deal.” He said negotiations took place behind closed doors without consulting the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality or the attorney general’s office.

The EPA plan promised only $90 million towards environmental projects across three states, with no guarantee of any of that money allocated to North Carolina.

On Thursday, Jackson said Chemours and DuPont have devastated North Carolina’s water and natural resources for decades.

“This deal forces them to pay for the harm they caused the people of southeastern North Carolina, and gives our local governments more resources to help ensure clean drinking water for families,” Jackson said. “It is a massive step forward in giving our state more dollars to help fund clean water programs.”