N.C. DEQ to hold public hearings to address action required by Chemours to address groundwater contamination

RALEIGH, N.C. (WECT) - Two public hearings have been scheduled for June 21 and 23 by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Division of Water Resources for the Chemours draft permit to address contamination of groundwater.

Currently, contaminated groundwater from Chemours manufacturing processes is not intercepted or treated before flowing into the Cape Fear River.

The draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System discharge permit (NC0090042) is for a proposed treatment system to substantially reduce groundwater contaminated with PFAS from entering the river at the Chemours Fayetteville Works.

According to the DEQ, Chemours is required to remove at least 99% of PFAS from the contaminated groundwater before it is discharged.

Without intervention by the treatment system, as indicted in the draft discharge permit, contaminated groundwater will continue to enter the river and impact water supplies downstream.

The in-person public meeting will be held Tuesday, June 21, 2022, at 6 p.m. in the first floor auditorium of Cape Fear Community College’s Union Station, 411 N. Front Street, Wilmington. Speaker registration opens up onsite at 5 p.m.

The virtual meeting takes place on Thursday, June 23, 2022, at 6 p.m. and can be joined using the information below. Speaker registration is required by completing this online form by noon, June 23.

Meeting Access: Click here for meeting WebEx link.

Event number: 2421 589 1484

Event password: NCDEQ

Audio conference: US TOLL +1-415-655-0003, Access code: 2421 589 1484

Please contact Peter Johnston if you have issues registering online at 919-707-9011 or by email peter.johnston@ncdenr.gov.

Comments about the proposed permit will be accepted by the DEQ’s Division of Water Resources (DWR) until 5 p.m., June 24.

Earlier, in May, the N.C. DEQ held a public hearing to answer questions about the sampling of private wells Chemours has been directed to do in the Lower Cape Fear area.

In November 2021, the DEQ found Chemours responsible for contamination of New Hanover County wells and other counties downstream.

As per the news release, “Chemours has been prohibited from discharging PFAS-contaminated process wastewater from its manufacturing operations into the Cape Fear River since 2017.” However, the plant’s operations have contaminated groundwater at the site.

Copyright 2022 WECT. All rights reserved.