Read the full press release (Southern Environmental Law Center)
“CHAPEL HILL, N.C.—After testing revealed unpermitted discharges of toxic PFAS into the Lumber River, the Southern Environmental Law Center and the Winyah Rivers Alliance today notified Active Energy Renewable Power—subsidiary of U.K. company, Active Energy Group—that the company is in violation of federal law and must stop its releases of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. If Active Energy does not stop polluting the river with PFAS from its facility in Lumberton, N.C., the conservation groups will enforce the Clean Water Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act in federal court to protect the health of surrounding communities and watershed.
‘We are extremely concerned that Active Energy is releasing toxic PFAS into the Lumber River,’ said Heather Hillaker, attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center. ‘The company is violating multiple federal laws by dumping these chemicals into the river without telling anyone and endangering people.’
Sampling conducted from Active Energy’s wastewater outfall detected total PFAS concentrations of nearly 20,000 parts per trillion in October 2021, and nearly 15,000 ppt in December 2021—thousands of times higher than recommended health values for the chemicals. EPA recently indicated that these industrial chemicals can be harmful to human health at levels below one ppt. PFAS have also been found in high levels in Jacob Branch, a tributary of the Lumber River that borders Active Energy’s site.”…