DEQ-CFW_00080566

Roy Cooper
Governor
qffice qfthe Gavernor
July 17, 2017
Mr, E. Scott Pruitt, Administrator
United States Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Ave,, NW
Washington, DC 2040
Dear Administrator Pruitt:
North Carolina residents need immediate help and long-term certainty about the safety of
the Water they drink. I am Writing to seek your urgent action to get us answers and solutions,
When We turn on the tap to get a drink, cook areal for our family, or run a bath for our
children, We count on that Water to be safe. Forth Carolina must have your help to snake sure
the Water is safe for millions of our families.
At my direction, the NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) along With the NC
Department of health and Human Services (DHHS) launched an investigation June 14 into the
presence of the unregulated chemical GenX in the Cape Fear liver, the primary source of drinking
Water for Brunswick, Eladen, New Hanover and Pender counties in forth Carolina. This compound
entered the river as Wastewater discharge at a Chemours manufacturing facility near Fayetteville.
Following requests from my administration, local leaders and area residents, Chemours stopped
discharging GenX While the state investigation is underway.
The good news is that initial results from ongoing rigorous Water sampling being
conducted by state scientists shows that levels of GenX in the Water supply have decreased
dramatically since we succeeded at getting Chemours to cease its discharge. However, many
questions remain about potential health effects caused by exposure to this and other emerging
contaminants, and We know that only your agency can give regulatory certainty about this
contaminant.
The troubling problem of unregulated, relatively unknown chemicals in the public Water
supply is nationwide and cannot be solved by our state alone. I appreciate the assistance the EPA
has provided thus liar to scientists With DECK and DHHS Working on our GenX investigation, but
we need the EPA to move more quickly to finalize its health assessment of GenX and set a
maximum contaminant level for it, These are critical steps that must tape place in order for forth
Carolina to be able to require Chemours to limit or eliminate discharge of Gen,
Mr. E. Scott Pruitt
July 17, 2017
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DEQ-CFW 00080566

Ir. E. Scott Pruitt
duly I?, 2017
Page 2
The EPA already has an order in place to control some GenX emissions that should be
expanded to hold Chemours accountable for any discharge of GenX. As you may know, EPA
concerns that GenX could be toxic led the agency to seek a 2009 consent: order limiting Chemours`
emissions from GenX production. However, Chemours has stated publicly that it does not believe
this order governs discharge of the same chemical When it is a byproduct of other chemical
processes. I ask that the EPA revisit this consent order immediately and modify it to apply to any
and all release of Gen.
North Carolina and its people rely on the EPA to ensure chemicals are manufactured in a
way that protects Our air, our water and our health. Under the U.S. Toxic Substances Control ,act
(TSCA), the EPA bears the sole responsibility for regulating the introduction of new chemicals. I
urge you to use EPA authority under the TSCA to evaluate byproducts from other Chemours
production lines, including Wastewater discharge,
I also ask that you require companies to submit not just one but multiple health studies
covering several exposure methods When registering chemicals under TSCA. This will increase
the public's understanding of chemical compounds introduced into our waterways. These
safeguards are more important than ever as North Carolina and other states confront the
presence of unregulated, emerging contaminants in our Water,
The water, health and welfare of the people of North Carolina require your protection now
from unregulated emerging contaminants like GenX, and I loaf forward to working with your
agency on this and a variety of Water quality issues.
Thank you for the support your ardency is providing to North Carolina, and loop forward
to your swift reply.
With bind regards, I asp
Very truly yours,
F 7`
Choy Cooper
RAC/sm
DEQ-CFW 00080567