State lawmakers applaud DEQ and DOJ action on Chemours discharge

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) –  The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has begun legal action against Chemours, the company behind the dumping of GenX into the Cape Fear River.

On Tuesday the state demanded Chemours to stop releasing all fluorinated compounds into the Cape Fear River.  The state initiated a lawsuit against Chemours in Bladen County court and also started the process to suspend its permit for discharging wastewater into the river.

This coming after the EPA found new chemical compounds in the Cape Fear originating from the Fayetteville plant. We asked local lawmakers about the action.

“We have got to shut Chemours down. I am thrilled that the Governor has used this exercise of the law. It’s clear he intends to put them out of business or at least stop this contamination. The discharge permit looks like it’s going to be repealed he’s using the courts to do that. I just could not be more proud of our Governor,” says New Hanover County State Representative Deb Butler.

The DEQ says it will suspend the permit if Chemours does not stop discharging additional byproducts found in the Cape Fear River by Friday.