State taking action after unreported spill at Chemours, GenX levels hit 3,700 parts per trillion

SOUTHEASTERN NC (WWAY ) — The state will take additional enforcement action against Chemours after learning about an unreported spill that led to elevated levels of GenX in the plant’s wastewater discharge.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality questioned Chemours officials after receiving preliminary data from the Environmental Protection Agency indicating increased concentrations of GenX at Chemours’ primary wastewater discharge outfall.

In response, the company told DEQ that a spill had occurred October 6 from a manufacturing line at the Chemours facility. The company indicated to state officials that dimer acid fluoride, a precursor to GenX, had spilled during planned maintenance at the facility.

“We are determining all appropriate enforcement actions based on violations that have been committed, and we will continue to investigate and hold the company accountable,” said Sheila Holman, assistant secretary for the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.

At DEQ’s request, Chemours officials provided the company’s own preliminary test results from water samples collected at the Chemours outfall around the time of the spill.

The data show concentrations of GenX at Chemours’ wastewater discharge outfall increasing to 250 parts per trillion on October 6, and peaking at 3,700 parts per trillion on October 9.

The concentration at the outfall then dropped to 740 parts per trillion on October 12, and 380 parts per trillion on October. 16.

Prior to the spill, water samples collected between October 2 and October 5 show concentrations of GenX at Chemours’ wastewater discharge outfall between 35 and 69 parts per trillion.

This news comes one day after Brunswick County revealed their latest samples showed elevated levels of GenX at 281 parts per trillion. Those samples were taken October 19.