Read the full article by Lisa Sorg (NC Newsline)

“Lear Corporation, a global textile manufacturer with a factory in Duplin County, has knowingly discharged high levels of toxic PFAS into the Northeast Cape Fear River for the past five years, yet state regulators have not required the company to rein in those releases.

Now Lear, which makes seating and interior trim for cars and trucks, has asked the state Department of Environmental Quality to renew its discharge permit, but the company initially omitted PFAS from the list of chemicals it releases. 

In a statement, Lear said it is working with DEQ on a permit renewal ‘that adheres strictly to state regulatory guidelines and standards governing the use and disposal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.’

There are no state guidelines and standards for PFAS in rivers, lakes and streams, although DEQ is proposing surface and groundwater rules for PFAS to the Environmental Management Commission for approval. However, that process is expected to take at least a year.” …