WILMINGTON — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has identified two additional chemical compounds related to GenX being discharged into the Cape Fear River by Chemours. The DHHS has, “urged Chemours to stop discharging two additional chemical compounds into the Cape Fear River,” according to a DHHS press release.
The compounds, which are known as Naifon byproducts 1 and 2 were identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency during a preliminary analysis of the company’s waste stream. According to the release, the concentrations of the compounds have not been decreasing.
The revelation of the new compounds prompted the Department of Environmental Quality to write Chemours asking the company to stop the discharge of the byproducts.
“DEQ also repeated its demand for Chemours to provide the state agency with a complete inventory, sampling data and test results for all chemicals included in the company’s waste stream,” according to the release.
“DHHS reiterated its health guidance that the public can continue to drink the water, based on ongoing testing for GenX and other compounds for which health information is available. This guidance has not changed following the preliminary results shared by the EPA this week,” – NC DHHS
The EPA also detected three perfluorinated compounds that were previously identified along with GenX. The concentrations of these three compounds have dropped significantly after the company stopped discharging GenX, and this leads officals to believe the three compounds were part of the same wastewater discharge as GenX.
According to the DHHS, there is little known about the health effect of any of the compounds found in the Cape Fear River, those being Nafion byproducts 1 and 2, and the three perflurourinated compounds.
Secretary of the DEG Michael Regan said, “Our top priority is to protect the state’s citizens. Until we know more about the health effects of these byproducts, the company needs to stop discharging them. We’re also repeating our demand that Chemours give us information about all other chemicals in its waste stream.”
New Hanover County officials also released a statement on Thursday afternoon after the announcement of the discovery.
“New Hanover County, in a letter to Governor Roy Cooper signed by New Hanover County Board of Commissioners Chairman Woody White, is insisting that NC DEQ demand, not ‘urge,’ Chemours to immediately stop discharging compounds into the Cape Fear River. The state should either reopen the existing, albeit expired, permit or issue a new permit that restricts these discharges until we have information on the human health impacts of these compounds,” according to the statement.
The DEQ will make public the test results when final data is available.
Michael Praats can be reached via email at [email protected]
