DEQ-CFW_00082727

w Thank you for theopportunity tospeak with you today about GemXand otheremerging
contaminants of concern.
* North Carolina families deserve tohave confidence inthe water they drink.
* For that reason Governor Cooper has directed the N.C. Departments ofEnvironmental Quality
and Health and Human Services Vzinvestigate dbeproa00000fGenXundodberonueqA
contaminants in the Cape Fear River.
* Let nestart hvuo bdof o�hon' urdvudnho todo� '�]uo �n�n��ouu overview n� ron�om� _-".
* lnNovember J0l6,Df%)received aresearch report from the EPA and N.C. State
Detlef Knappe, the lead author of the report, and his team had conducted water quality sampling
and testing for GenX and other emerging contaminants in 2013 and 2014. The report showed
evidence ofthese compounds indrinking water indho|owcrCapoFearRJror.
w (}ouXiothe trade name for uman-made and unregulated chemical used inthe manufacture of
nonstick coatings ondfhroderpurpoeeo.
* The company that makes Gen]{ioChumour .Thouompuny`mfacilin'in Fayetteville began
producing {}enXcommercially in20O9aou replacement for another manufacturing ohonukca]
called PFOA�or perfluorooctanoic acid. PFOAio commonly called C8and was used inthe
manufacture ofmany products and ismost 0000mou|vassociated with DuPont's Teflon.
* Atthis time, little ioknown about the health effects of(}enXand the otheremerging compounds.
However, the EPA io working toestablish health risk information for these compounds,00that
regulations can be enacted.
* lnearly June, u Wilmington newspaper reported onGenX.
w 0nJune |4,a1Governor RoyCooper's direction staff inthe Department ofEnvironmental
Quality and Department ofHealth and Human Services launched uninvestigation into the
presence of[enXand the other compounds identified inthe November 20|6report.
w Upon launching the investigation, DUG0encourages Chomnurathe company that producesdho
chemical to measures that can botaken toreduce oreliminate the dischargesofthe
chemical to the river.
* On June 19` DROhooinm collecting water samples from 12 sites along the Cuno Fear River.
* 0nJune 27,DR0conducted anon -site inspection tovenifythat Chemours is redirecting the
wastewater from the GenXprocess into temporary storage tanks for off -site shipment and
* 0nJune 2Q I)HUR8provides an analysis that reveals cancer rates in New
Hanover, and PondorCounties are generally similar tothe statewide rates ofpancreatic, liver,

uterine, testicular and kidney cancers. 'Mere are two exceptions where the county cancer
incidence rates were higher than the state and four where the incidence rates were lower.
• On July 11, DEQ received the first sets of water quality data from the Test America lab in
Colorado. The data comes from water samples collected June 19-29 near the Chemours facility in
Fayetteville that produces GenX, and downstream at water treatment facilities in the Fayetteville
and Wilmington areas.
• On July 14, state officials release their first results of water quality samples. At the same time,
DHHS released an updated preliminary health assessment for concentrations of the unregulated
compound GenX in finished, or treated, drinking water. DHHS' revised health goal for exposure
to GenX in drinking water is 140 nanograms per liter (also referred to as parts per trillion).
This updated health goal of 140 parts per trillion is conservative and health protective for non -
cancer health effects in bottle-fed infants, pregnant women, lactating women, children and adults.
The changes to the health goal reflect additional health studies. It is important to note that 140
parts per trillion is not a boundary line between a "safe" and "dangerous" level of GenX. A list of
scientific studies and reports used and details on the preliminary assessment and the revised
health goal are posted on-line.
• Since we have been successful at prompting Chemours to stop the release of GenX into the Cape
Fear River, we have seen a dramatic decline in concentrations of the chemical compound at all
sites. Tests continue to show that levels of GenX in finished drinking water are below the state's
health goal.
• While we have seen some encouraging signs our work on this investigation is far from over.
• State water quality officials will continue water sampling and analysis at the finished water sites
for the foreseeable future.
• Also in the first week in August, DEQ added 16 monitoring wells at the Chemours facility to the
sampling plan to investigate groundwater conditions at the facility in Bladen County. We will use
those test results to determine if we need to test private drinking water wells near the Chemours
facility.
• We hope soon to release data about several other emerging compounds.
DEQ-CFW-00082728

• Throughout our investigation, all of our efforts have been transparent. We have weekly calls to
update local officials on our investigation and we regularly publish any new information on this
topic on our public website, https://deq.nc.gov/news/hot-topics/genx-investigation.
At the same time we're conducting our investigation, we are also helping the federal government
with its probe. Staff in DEQ are gathering documents in response to a subpoena issued by the
federal government related to its investigation into Chemours. We are taking this matter seriously
and will provide all relevant records about Chemours as part of this federal investigation. In the
interest of transparency, we issued a news release about the federal subpoena and posted the
subpoena online, and will make all non -privileged documents gathered for this request public,
which includes the information we have obtained from other federal investigations.
We are also continuing to monitor the facility to ensure releases have stopped. And we are taking
a hard look at Chemours' wastewater discharge permit. At Governor Cooper's direction, DEQ
will deny Chemours' permit request to release GenX and a new permit will be developed. As part
of its permit review, DEQs investigation is looking into the specific identifying information the
company provided for the chemicals it was discharging to the Cape Fear River. Based on what we
learn, DEQ will take any appropriate enforcement actions related to its investigation.
DEQ-CFW-00082729