DEQ-CFW_00081240

Michael S. Regan, Secretary
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Release: IMMEDIATE Contact: Jamie Kritzer
Date: Aug. 2, 2017 Phone: [phone]
EMBARGOED. Latest test results for finished drinking water show GenX below health goal
GenX levels continue downward trend in water samples collected from Cape Fear region
RALEIGH — Concentrations of GenX in the Cape Fear River continue to be below the state's public health coal, according
to the latest test results of finished drinking water obtained by the Department of Environmental Quality..
The state's latest test results released Wednesday reflect conditions in the Cape Fear River July 17-20 when the N.C.
Department of Environmental Quality completed its fifth week of testing. The state also has received partial test results for
July 24, when the sixth week of testing started.
The state results for drinking water remained below the 140 parts per trillion health goal developed by the N.C. Department
of Health and Human Services. The health goal represents the concentration of GenX at which no adverse non -cancer
health effects would be anticipated over an entire lifetime of exposure to the most sensitive populations.
The state DEQ and the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services began investigating the presence of GenX in the
Cape Fear River on June 19. That ongoing investigation along with pressure from residents and local officials prompted
Chemours, the company manufacturing the unregulated chemical, to stop discharging GenX into the Cape Fear. Instead the
company is collecting it and transporting it out of state for incineration.
"The good news is that levels of GenX in finished drinking water continue to be below the state's health goal and continue
to trend down since we got Chemours to stop releasing this compound into the river," said Michael Regan, secretary of the
N.C. Department of Environmental Quality. 'We will continue to investigate and test water samples, and will share testing
results with the public in a timely fashion."
Water sampling and analysis will continue at finished water sites for the foreseeable future. Also, DEQ officials began this
week conducting groundwater sampling to look for any concentrations of GenX in 18 monitoring wells at Chemours'
facility in Fayetteville. The agency will use the results of the groundwater tests to determine whether sampling is necessary
at any private wells identified near the Chemours facility.
DEQ has created a map on its GenX web page to better illustrate the state's sampling results. Results may be viewed at:
ii............. ..... . . ............................................. . ............ ­ .................................. . . ................. ­ ......................... . ......... -1 ................. For more information about the state's
investigation, you can check out the GenX web page at: iin
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DEQ-CFW-00081240