Chemours announced Tuesday that it will capture, remove, and safely dispose of wastewater that contains the byproduct GenX,
The chemical comes out of fluoromonomers production at its manufacturing plant in Fayetteville NC.
Trace GenX amounts in the Cape Fear River to date have been well below the health screening level announced by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services on June 12, and the company continues to believe that emissions from its Fayetteville facility have not impacted the safety of drinking water, a release stated.
Still, the presence of the chemical has raised concern, with the company holding a meeting to discuss the issue and the state’s environmental department encouraging Chemours to stop discharges. The department noted that the chemical is fairly new and relatively little is known about it.
Chemours announced will take these additional steps, “embracing its role as a significant employer and member of the community. The capture and removal of this wastewater will commence on June 21, 2017. This action complements the abatement technology already put in place at the Fayetteville site in 2013.,” the release stated.
Chemours will continue to work closely with local and state officials to answer questions, provide information as needed, and determine next steps, the release continued.
News of the presence of GenX, affected shares of Chemours, which has seen its stock price soar on improved earnings and a settlement over a plant in West Virginia.
Shares of the company are trading off their all-time high of $45 in May, Over the past five days, Chemours stock has slipped by $3 a share.
Chemours was spun off from DuPont in 2015 and any litigation over the matter might bring DuPont back into the picture.
