DEQ-CFW_00078676

NEW HANO `ER COIINTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
IIESOLt:TION REQUESTING HE CHEMCtURS CON'I ANY
TO HALT .[ OCESSES WHICH H RESULT IN THE DISCHARGE OF THE GEN
C 1EMIC L INTO THE CA.EE, FEAR RIVER
WHEREAS, the majority of New Hanover County''s drinking water supply comes from the Cape Fear River;
and
WHEREAS, Che mourn is a conipanyj that operates a facility on appro iin tel.y 2200 acres of land in Bladen
County along the: Cape Fear River and which withdraws up to 6 million gallons per day from the Cape
Fear River and discharges treated wastewater back into the river, and
WHEREAS, C:hernours manuCdim€ros GenX, a chemical used to makeTeflon and other products; and
WHEREAS, Chemours operate:; under a permit or a reerrrent with. the EPA that requires the company to
reclaim 99% of the GenX chemical it manufactures prier to discharf,eo and
WHEREAS, Chemours contends that it complies with the 9% recapture rule for its facility for production
of GeriX, but believes that C.Ien.X may be entering the river as a byproduct of a vinyl ether process used at
its Fayetteville Works Plant, and
WHEREAS, GenX is a newer chemical used to replace one known as C e which as the subject of a
consent order to cease use between the EPA and Chem€curs' predecessor, DuPont. because of its detrinrent:al
health. effects, and
WHEREAS, Clem. has been shown in some studies to cause cancer and other health issues in lab animals,
and is an emerging chemical for which the EPA has yet to establish a safe regulatory level, and
WHEREAS, Gwn.X is difficult to filter out of drinking water using the most common Ynethods of public
utility water treatment; and current levels of GenXin the water supply are €tn:l rro-w€r and
WHEREAS, New I lanover County recognizes that the availability of safe drinking water is of paramount
importance to the health and well-being of its citizens.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the New Flanove.r County hoard of C onunissioners sloes
hereby request that Cherr ours immediately halt any processes within its control that result in the discharge.
of GenX Into the Cape Fear River, and to maintain a zero discharge policy permanently, or at a nrhrirnum
until ;such time as the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and the Environmental
Protection Agency concludes airy investigation into the efforts of discharge of this circus€cal in the water
supply and create specific re rrlati€ins or guidelines pertainim-, to acceptable levels, if any, for the presence
of this chemical in the water supply,
ADOPTED this the 1 p1€; day of June, '2d.l'7,
Woody White, Cha-firma .
New I lanover Coun�y 13111rd. of C` lurussioners
ATTEST:
K'Inberle igh Ca.ro-�vell, CIerk to the Board
DEQ-CFW 00078676