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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDEQ-CFW_000534750 FOUNDED1897 Sri David C. Shelton, Esq. General Counsel The Chemours Company 1007 Market Street Wilmington, Delaware 19899 2000 RENAISSANCE PLAZA 230 NORTH ELM STREET GREENSBORO, NC 27401 T 336.373.8850 F 336.378-1001 WWW.BROOKSPIERCE.COM Re: Requests for Information by Cape Fear Public Utility Authority I am writing on behalf of the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority ("CFPUA"), as its environmental counsel. I assume you are aware of the circumstances that have recently come to light regarding the historical discharge of GenX into the Cape Fear River by The Chemours Company FC, LLC ("Chemours") and E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co. ("DuPont") at the facilities of those companies (or their tenants or affiliated entities) located in Fayetteville, North Carolina (the "Fayetteville Facility"). I write in that regard. As you may be aware, CFPUA is a public utility authority jointly created by the City of Wilmington and New Hanover County pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 162A-1, et seq. In that capacity, CFPUA provides potable water to residents of the City and County, and is acutely interested in determining whether the waters of the Cape Fear River are contaminated with pollutants — regulated or unregulated — that have the potential to adversely affect human health. Chemours has indicated a willingness to provide further information to the public to help address this concern, and we therefore request the company's cooperation and assistance in providing the information set forth below. For the purposes of these requests, we define "GenX Chemicals" to mean: (i) chemicals collectively identified by DuPont and Chemours as "GenX"; and (ii) chemicals that are structurally, functionally or otherwise similar to GenX, including perfluorinated chemicals, that result from the manufacture, use, processing, treatment, or disposal of GenX. 1. Identify the chemical compounds for all GenX Chemicals, as well as all synonyms and acronyms used by Chemours or DuPont for GenX Chemicals. 2. Identify all testing methods known to Chemours or DuPont for identifying the presence of GenX Chemicals. Writer's Direct Dial: Phone: 336-271-3114 Fax: 336-232-9114 fa ,Iiouse@brook-spierce.com Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, L.L.P. Attornevs and Counsellors at Law DEQ-CFW-00053475 3. Identify all products (e.g., Teflon, Nafion, etc.) that are or have been manufactured with the assistance of GenX Chemicals at the Fayetteville Facility and that have resulted in a discharge of GenX Chemicals into the Cape Fear River. 4. Chemours has represented that it has stopped discharging GenX Chemicals into the Cape Fear River. Please share with CFPUA and the public the methods Chemours currently employs to prevent the discharge of GenX Chemicals and any sampling and/or studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of such treatment methods. CFPUA has employed a consulting firm to evaluate methods to remove GenX Chemicals from its finished water and your information can expedite their efforts. 5. As reported by multiple news sources, CFPUA and other state and local officials met with Mike Johnson, Chemours' environmental manager, in a closed -door meeting on June 15, 2017. During that meeting, Mr. Johnson represented that, contrary to prior information from Chemours regarding GenX, the compound (or compounds) has been discharged into the Cape Fear River since 1980. In light of the conflicting information, please provide a comprehensive history of the manufacture, use, processing, treatment, and discharge of GenX Chemicals by Chemours, DuPont, and/or any tenant or affiliated entities discharging through the Fayetteville Facility, including: (i) historical amounts of GenX Chemicals manufactured and used, (ii) historical amounts of GenX Chemicals discharged to the Cape Fear River, (iii) the waste streams involved in historical discharges, and (iv) water treatment methods utilized for such waste streams. 6. Identify whether GenX Chemicals have been emitted to the air at the Fayetteville Facility. Our concern is the introduction of GenX Chemicals into the water supply via this route, and we ask you to provide comparable historical air emissions data for GenX Chemicals. 7. Provide all reports, studies and data conducted by, funded by or in the possession of Chemours and/or DuPont that relate to the effects of GenX Chemicals on human or environmental health. 8. Provide all groundwater and surface water monitoring data that relate in any way to GenX Chemicals. Given the significance of the issues relating to GenX in the Cape Fear River, we ask that you promptly respond to these requests. Thank you for your attention to these matters. Sincerely, George House cc: Bill Lane, General Counsel, NC Department of Environmental Quality Writer's Direct Dial• Phone; 336-271-3114 Fax: 336-232-9114 ghotise@brookspierce.com Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey&Leonard, L.L.P. Attorneys and Counsellors at Law DEQ-CFW-00053476