Public comment period winding down for proposed consent order with Chemours

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The period for public comment regarding the proposed consent order with Chemours is winding down.

If the draft order is approved, Chemours would have to pay a $12 million civil penalty to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) making it the largest penalty the agency has ever received from a single facility.

The proposed consent order was released Wednesday, Nov. 21.

The order would require Chemours to dramatically reduce GenX air emissions, provide permanent replacement drinking water supply tools to residents with directly contaminated water, and pay a civil penalty.

However, the Bladen County courts must approve the order and some Wilmington residents are worried the order won’t help them.

“This is the second time we put a proposed order out,” said NCDEQ Secretary Michael Regan. “The first time we received comments and those comments from the general public are wrapped into this general consent order. So we anticipate more comments, will govern ourselves accordingly and hopefully the judge can sign off on this consent decree that we believe brings immediate relief to many people who have been impacted by this issue.”

Public comment will continue until Friday, Dec. 21. Comments can be submitted electronically to comments.chemours@ncdenr.gov or mailed to:

NCDEQ Assistant Secretary’s Office
RE: Chemours Public Comments
1601 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1601.