PARKERSBURG, WV (WOAY) – Chemours has responded to allegations that it is discharging toxic PFAS chemicals, specifically GenX, into the Ohio River. Levels exceed their permit by hundreds of percent. The company’s statement follows a federal lawsuit filed by the West Virginia Rivers Coalition (WV Rivers). The injunction seeks to enforce state and federal regulations and halt the pollution.
Chemours’ Official Response:
“Chemours is aware of the motion/request for a preliminary injunction filed by the West Virginia Rivers Coalition and is disappointed at the action given that the Coalition’s concerns are already being addressed through an April 2023 Order between U.S. EPA and Chemours. In compliance with that Order, Chemours submitted an Alternatives Analysis and Implementation Plan to reduce discharges, which is awaiting EPA approval. As always, Chemours is committed to being a good neighbor and invites the Coalition to engage directly with the Washington Works team as a community stakeholder.”
Chemours’ response was issued after we published our story on March 3rd. In our original request for comment, sent on February 27th, we requested answers about why the company continues to exceed permit limits for PFAS discharges, why it has asked for three additional years to fix its filtration system, and why it has not implemented offsite disposal methods similar to those at its North Carolina facility.
According to the lawsuit, the EPA order from 2023 was never finalized.
The lawsuit cites Chemour’s own monitoring data, which shows discharge above the legal limits or HFPO-DA (GenX). That data shows that Chemours exceeded its legal discharge limits for GenX by 454% at one outlet and 166% at another.
In its response, Chemours did not say why it has requested three additional years to upgrade its filtration system while continuing PFAS discharges at current levels.
In its lawsuit, West Virginia Rivers Coalition says that Chemours already uses offsite disposal for PFAS-contaminated wastewater at its Fayetteville, North Carolina facility, but has not implemented the same process at Washington Works. Chemours did not specifically answer our question about this.
Chemours has until March 11 to formally respond to the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, which is responsible for enforcing state environmental regulations, has not taken action against Chemours regarding its permit violations. On February 27, we reached out to the WVDEP with specific questions regarding enforcement actions, permit reissuance, and the department’s position on Chemours’ ongoing violations. We have not yet received a response.
We will continue following this story as it develops.
