DNREC settles with Solvay over possibility of ‘forever chemicals’ at Marshallton site

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The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has settled with Solvay Specialty Polymers USA, LLC to address the possibility of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances that could be in and around the company’s facility in the Marshallton area of New Castle County.

PFAs are sometimes known as “forever chemicals” and are known to make their way into wells and waterways.

On Sept. 11, DNREC notified Solvay that it is a potentially responsible party for the alleged PFAS release and offered the company an opportunity to enter DNREC’s Voluntary Cleanup Program under Hazardous Substance Cleanup Act (HSCA) regulations.

Solvay is an international company that recently closed and decommissioned its facility at 800 Greenbank Road in Marshallton, west of Wilmington.

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Solvay processed polytetrafluoroethylene and milled it into a fine powder.

Under the terms of the settlement, Solvay has to perform a comprehensive environmental investigation at the site and potentially affected surrounding areas under the oversight of DNREC’s Division of Waste and Hazardous Substances.

Based on the remedial investigation results, an appropriate remedy will be proposed to address any soil, sediment, surface water, and groundwater contamination that may be discovered at the site and in the surrounding areas affected by a release from the Solvay plant, a DNREC release stated.

Currently, DNREC’s soil, sediment, and surface-water testing have not identified any known potential for health concerns for residents in the surrounding neighborhood or along Red Clay Creek.

To view the settlement, visit the DNREC website at https://dnrec.alpha.delaware.gov/secretarys-orders/enforcement/.

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