DEQ-CFW_00083101

Michael S. Regan, Secretary
Release: FdMEDIATE Contact: Jamie Kritzer
Date: August 31, 2017 Phone: [phone]
State urges company to stop additional chemical discharge into the Cape Fear River
DEQ again calls on Chemours to provide complete list of chemicals in company's waste stream
RALEIGH — As part of its ongoing investigation, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality this week urged
Chemours to stop discharging two additional chemical compounds into the Cape Fear River. The compounds were
identified in the company's waste stream by an U.S. Environmental Protection Agency analysis shared with the state this
week.
At a meeting on Monday, EPA scientists told the state that they have identified Nafion byproducts 1 and 2 in Chemours'
waste stream and that these compounds are not decreasing. The new information prompted DEQ to write Chemours on
Tuesday asking the company to stop release of the two Nafion byproducts. DEQ also repeated its call for Chemours to
provide the state agency with a complete inventory, sampling data and test results for all chemicals included in the
company's waste stream.
"Our top priority is to protect the state's citizens," said Michael Regan, secretary of the N.C. Department of Environmental
Quality. "Until we know more about the health effects of these byproducts, the company needs to stop discharging them.
We're also repeating our request that Chemours give us information about all other chemicals in its waste stream."
The new infornation is the result of EPA analysis of water samples submitted by DEQ to the EPA's lab in Research
Triangle Park. Information about the presence of the Nafion byproducts comes from preliminary analysis of water samples
gathered by DEQ at Chemours' wastewater discharge outfall in Fayetteville and finished drinking water at the Sweeney
plant in Wilmington. Scientists at the EPA lab are conducting further analysis of the water samples.
Preliminary results shared by the EPA this week also include three perfluorinated compounds that along with GenX were
previously identified in the Cape Fear River by a 2016 study by the EPA and N.C. State University. Concentrations of
these three perfluorinated compounds have dropped significantly along with GenX levels after the company stopped
discharging GenX. For that reason, state and federal officials believe the three perfluorinated compounds were part of the
same wastewater discharge that included GenX and was stopped.
State officials began investigating the presence of GenX in the river in June. That ongoing investigation along with
pressure from residents and local officials prompted Chemours to stop discharging GenX from its Fayetteville facility.
DEQ is now asking Chemours to stop discharge of the Nafion byproducts, which preliminary results indicate come from
the company's wastewater but are unchanged since the GenX discharge ended.
Little is known about the health effects of any of the five compounds—Nafion byproducts 1 and 2 or the three other
perfluourinated compounds --included in this week's analysis from the EPA. DHHS' health guidance to the public has not
changed following the preliminary results shared by the EPA this week.
Public health experts with DIMS used available studies to establish a health goal for GenX. Since the GenX discharge
stopped, concentrations of GenX have dropped well below the health goal of 140 parts per trillion. No similar health
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ncdenr
1601 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1601 RSS feed: http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/opa/news-releases-
rss
Twitter: http://twitter.com/NCDENR
An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer
DEQ-CFW 00083101

studies have been identified for the Nafion byproducts or the other three perfluorinated compounds analyzed by the EPA,
so DHHS is unable to establish a health goal for them at this time.
" I know how frustrating it is to all of us that we have very little scientific information about these unregulated, emerging
compounds," said Mandy Cohen, secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. "We continue to work
with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other scientists to get more
information as quickly as possible."
As part of the ongoing investigation, DEQ requested that the EPA analyze water samples for GenX and other unregulated
chemical compounds included in a 2016 study conducted by the EPA and N.C. State University. Among those chemicals
are the perfluorinated compounds the EPA reported this week. The EPA also chose to analyze the water samples for the
Nafion byproducts based on a separate prior study by the federal agency. Specialists with the EPA's lab in Research
Triangle Park conducted the analysis using new technology and methodology and looked at water samples collected by
DEQ over a six -week period starting June 19.
DEQ will review all this infornation as part of its investigation and the agency's review of Chemours' application for a
new wastewater discharge pernut.
The EPA informed state officials this week that it is working on a comprehensive report that will include concentrations of
other compounds at multiple sampling locations over a seven -week period.
As with the results for GenX, DEQ will make public test results for all the compounds when final data is available.
FIVI I
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ncdenr
1601 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1601 RSS feed: http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/opa/news-releases-
rss
Twitter: http://twitter.com/NCDENR
An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer
DEQ-CFW 00083102