The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported that Chemours Company FC, LLC agreed to conduct sampling for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, surrounding its Washington Works facility in Washington, WV. Chemours is headquartered in Wilmington and has a research center in Newark.
The agreement requires Chemours to take samples and analyze soil, surface water, sediment, groundwater, and certain waste streams generated by the facility to collect information on known and potential PFAS contamination. This agreement will provide data to improve the agency’s understanding of the extent of PFAS contamination and how migration of PFAS contamination may impact communities, a release stated.
the EPA, under its existing enforcement authorities, will continue to address imminent and substantial endangerment situations posed by PFAS contamination.
“Chemours and other PFAS manufacturers must be held accountable for contamination from forever chemicals,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “EPA is working closely with Ohio and West Virginia to determine the extent of PFAS contamination from the Washington Works facility and will ensure that Chemours takes steps based on the sampling results to better protect nearby communities from forever chemicals.”
This agreement is part of EPA’s FY2024-2027 National Enforcement Compliance Initiative on Addressing Exposure to PFAS.
Chemours owns and operates Washington Works, a manufacturing facility located on the southeast bank of the Ohio River across from the state of Ohio. Since 1951, a variety of PFAS have been manufactured, produced, generated, or used at the facility and there have been PFAS releases from its operations.
Certain wastes generated by the facility containing PFAS have been disposed of in landfills which are managed under the West Virginia Solid Waste Management Program and the West Virginia National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Stormwater Program.
The site was also operated by Chemours’ predecessor DuPont, with the companies agreeing to a settlement with Ohio over PFA discharges from the West Virginia plant. That triggered extra money under a separate Delaware settlement. Click on headline below.
