“A suspected carcinogen that hasn’t been used in years has been detected in a Robeson County private well at levels well above the federal guidelines, county officials said Tuesday.
Tests of the well at a residence between the Chemours plant and St. Pauls showed PFOA at levels more than 20 times the Environmental Protection Agency’s drinking water health advisory. PFOA, also known as C8, has been shown to cause tumors in animals and has a ‘suggestive’ risk for cancer, according to the EPA.
Also Tuesday, the state Department of Environmental Quality said that Chemours has agreed to take steps that the company says will nearly eliminate air emissions of GenX, a similar compound…
The Robeson County tests that found C8 in a private well also detected GenX at 1,530 parts per trillion, according to a statement released by county Health Director Bill Smith. The statement said tests also showed a related compound, PFOS, at a level of 209 parts per trillion…
State officials believe that contamination around the plant is related to air emissions. On April 6, the Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality issued a 60-day notice of intent to modify the Chemours air quality permit. The division required the company to show that it was complying with the current terms of its permit. State officials also made Chemours show in writing by April 27 that emissions of GenX compounds from the plant under current and alternate conditions do not and will not cause or contribute to violations of the groundwater rules.
The company replied on that date, saying that it planned to spend more than $100 million on equipment. The specialized equipment is expected to reduce GenX emissions by 99 percent within 18 to 24 months, it said.”
Read the full article by Steve DeVane