North Carolina county accused of knowingly letting landfill leak cancer-linked 'forever chemicals'

Residents in a small North Carolina town have sued their county in federal court, saying a nearby landfill has been sending toxic "forever chemicals" into local water for years.

For families in St. Pauls, the lawsuit is about more than contamination. It is about whether children and grandparents can safely drink, garden, and fish in the community they call home.

What happened?

On June 16, the St. Pauls Community Association for Progress and the Southern Environmental Law Center filed a federal lawsuit against Robeson County, saying county officials let PFAS seep from the landfill and endanger drinking water and the surrounding environment, the Border Belt Independent reported.

At the heart of the case is the Robeson County Landfill, near resident Viv Tolson Wayne's home. The complaint says PFAS has been leaking from the site since at least 2023.

Because they are synthetic chemicals that are notoriously difficult to break down, PFAS are often referred to as forever chemicals.

The legal action comes as county commissioners weigh expanding the 537-acre landfill by another 35 acres, the seventh expansion in roughly 30 years.

Sampling found notably high levels of PFOS and PFOA in landfill leachate, including a November 2025 sample with PFOS at 1,060 parts per trillion and PFOA at 4,100 parts per trillion, the Border Belt Independent reported.

According to the lawsuit, PFAS also turned up in tap water from more than 12 households within two miles of the site, with average PFOA levels far above the Environmental Protection Agency's drinking water limit.

"Comparable PFAS levels in Wilmington's public water were considered a public health emergency. So why isn't this a public health emergency?" questioned Maia Hutt, an attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center.

Why does it matter?

According to the EPA, PFAS exposure is associated with increased risks of cancer, thyroid disease, reproductive problems, and developmental delays in children.

More than a third of St. Pauls residents live in poverty, and an environmental justice report said people within a mile of the proposed expansion are 73% non-white, with 62% considered low-income.

For residents such as Wayne, the concern extends beyond the tap. She worries PFAS may also be traveling through the air, into backyard vegetables, and into fish caught nearby.

American Rivers has listed the Lumber River among this year's most threatened waterways because of PFAS concerns tied to the landfill.

What's being done?

The groups behind the lawsuit are asking a judge to require Robeson County to stop using the Rocco Water Treatment Plant until PFAS treatment is in place and later sampling shows the chemicals are gone.

The Border Belt Independent also reported that the Southern Environmental Law Center has urged the county to install either carbon filtration or reverse osmosis treatment.

Rob Davis, Robeson County's attorney, said officials have obtained land for a carbon filtration system and are working toward a solution.

"Our team and our commissioners are taking this issue seriously and are making sure we keep moving forward to a solution that is in the best interest of the health and welfare of our citizens and residents," Davis wrote.

State regulators approved a PFAS assessment work plan this spring, but residents say the projected mitigation timeline is moving too slowly.

Sibyl Farr, executive director of the St. Pauls Community Association for Progress, put it simply. "You can't wait."

In the meantime, some residents are paying out of pocket to protect themselves. Julia Odom said she borrowed $6,000 to install a water purification system at her home.

"We just want clean water," Wayne said.

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