North Carolina officials call EPA's $450 million Chemours PFAS settlement a 'sweetheart deal'

North Carolina officials are fighting back against a proposed $450 million deal between the Environmental Protection Agency and a chemical manufacturer. 

The state is now asking federal court to shut down the deal, which they argue is too forgiving to the chemical manufacturer, which allegedly contaminated water for residents, NC Newsline reported. 

What's happening?

The company in question, Chemours, which was formerly part of DuPont, has been manufacturing its chemicals in Fayetteville, North Carolina, for decades. In 2017, scientists said they discovered that PFAS ("forever chemicals") were being released from Chemours' plant into the Cape Fear River. 

More than 2,600 plaintiffs sued Chemours for polluting the drinking water, air, soil, and groundwater. This impacted roughly 500,000 North Carolina residents and 10,000 private wells, NC Newsline reported. 

But residents will not go to court if the $450 million settlement is approved by a federal judge.

"For decades, Chemours knowingly contaminated North Carolina's air and water by discharging PFAS from its Fayetteville plant into the Cape Fear River," North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein said in a statement on July 30. "Now, the EPA is cutting a deal with Chemours that does next to nothing for North Carolinians and allows polluters to choose what to clean up and where."

Why does it matter?

Under the proposed terms, officials say Chemours would spend $90 million over 15 years on water cleanup and clean drinking water projects. But they claim none of that money is specifically earmarked for North Carolina, even though so many residents there have been affected.

What's being done?

State leaders and residents want the EPA to work with the state to help build a settlement in the case against Chemours that would help the state and residents, rather than just Chemours. 

The agreement with the EPA would require Chemours to spend $90 million over the next 15 years to fund water cleanup, but none of that money is designated specifically for North Carolina. 

"This proposed sweetheart deal that was brokered without even consulting North Carolina requires almost nothing more of Chemours than it's already doing," Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson said. "It's offensive and unfair to the people of this state."

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