Wilmington-based Chemours Company announced a commitment to spend over $100 million at its Fayetteville Works plant site in North Carolina for wastewater and emission controls.
The announcement comes as the Wilmington company deals with intense criticism and continuous media coverage over the presence of GenX, a chemical used in the production of Teflon in North Carolina waterways and reports of trace amounts in rain.
State environmental regulators have also stepped up monitoring efforts.
The program includes investing in state-of-the-art emission control technology, including a thermal oxidizer and a thermolysis reactor as well as other technology that in combination is expected to result in an overall 99 percent reduction of air and water emissions of C3 dimer acid (also referred to as GenX) and other PFAS compounds, a release stated.
Elements of our plan to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality in presentations made over the past few months, the company announced
“We are committed to taking a leadership role with respect to environmental stewardship at our facilities and being a good neighbor,” said Paul Kirsch, president of Chemours’ fluoroproducts business unit. “This means going beyond our legal and regulatory requirements to meet local community expectations now and in the future.”
This technology includes custom-designed, specialized equipment (such as the thermal oxidizer) that will take approximately 18-24 months to manufacture and install.
The design-and-manufacturing process is currently underway. In the interim, Chemours is taking additional steps that will control and substantially reduce air emissions of C3 dimer acid almost immediately, with the majority being eliminated by year’s end.
These measures include the installation of carbon adsorption beds in May; upgrades to a waste gas scrubber from May through October; and the continuation of the enhanced Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) program that began in January of this year.
Chemours has already completed the capture of all process wastewater generated by its Fayetteville Works operations for off-site disposal and a groundwater remediation program, subject to approval by state regulators.
Chemours did cite what it views as scientific evidence that the chemicals are not harmful in small amounts.
The company reported that Dr. Damian Shea, professor of Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology at North Carolina State University, recently completed a detailed analysis of the currently available data regarding GenX.
Shea said, “Over a decade of scientific data has been collected regarding the safety profile of C3 dimer acid. These data, including numerous toxicology studies, provide compelling scientific evidence that the low levels of C3 dimer acid detected in the environment do not pose a risk to human health.”
For more information about the actions, Chemours is taking Fayetteville, log on to https://www.chemours.com/Fayetteville.
The announcement comes as Chemours reports strong earnings, with its stock price hovering around $50 after dropping to as low as $4 a share in early 2016.
