NC reaches major settlement with Chemours, DuPont over PFAS contamination in drinking water sources
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- North Carolina has reached a nearly $500 million settlement with chemical manufacturers Chemours, DuPont and Corteva, which state officials accuse of illegally dumping chemicals into the Cape Fear River and other waterways.
Attorney General Jeff Jackson told ABC11 the agreement marks the largest environmental damage payment in state history.
Chemours, a spin-off of DuPont, operates a facility in Fayetteville.
The EPA found the company released PFAS chemicals into the Cape Fear River, a drinking water source for roughly 500,000 people.
Jackson said clean drinking water remains a top priority and that most of the settlement funds will go directly to 11 affected municipalities.
"That is, this is the largest environmental damage payment in the history of the state. It's going to come in at close to $600 million. And the vast majority of it is going to go directly to the local governments that have had to deal with this," he said.
He added that residents have long raised concerns.
"People have had concerns about clean drinking water for years now. And we want to structure this so that most of the money was going directly to the places that have been impacted."
Jackson said the settlement reinforces an existing court order requiring Chemours to clean up contaminated water. "It strengthens the existing court order that is forcing them to clean up the water by saying if they go bankrupt, which they might, that DuPont will now be on the hook to pay the bill to clean up people's water."
He described the agreement as part of a long effort to protect affected people.
"It's the people's drinking water is 500,000 people who now have to have some type of water filtration and have been dealing with this for years. It deserves to be top priority for us."
Chemours reached a separate settlement with the federal government in June.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) will host a town hall next Tuesday in Cumberland County at the Stedman Recreation Center from 6:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. to address community concerns.
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