Chemours to Pay $450M Over PFAS Contamination in Three States

Chemours has agreed to a $450 million settlement to resolve complaints about PFAS contamination at its facilities in North Carolina, New Jersey, and West Virginia. The company faces accusations of violating government permits by discharging these long-lasting chemicals into major rivers. PFAS are widely used substances that persist in the environment and break down slowly over time. The settlement covers multiple legal violations. Chemours is accused of breaching the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, and West Virginia’s Water Pollution Control Act. It also faces allegations of noncompliance with legal requirements at four of its sites.

Under the agreement, Chemours will take significant steps to address the contamination. It will provide clean drinking water to affected communities for more than ten years, with an estimated cost of $280 million. The company will also install pollution controls at its West Virginia facility, costing around $60 million, and implement a $90 million programme to reduce PFAS discharges over several years.

Additionally, Chemours will evaluate and introduce controls to limit PFAS releases from its North Carolina plant. The settlement includes a $22.5 million civil penalty for the company. The measures aim to reduce PFAS pollution and provide safe drinking water to impacted areas. Chemours will invest heavily in controls and mitigation programmes to address the contamination. The $450 million settlement resolves the legal complaints while funding long-term solutions.