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EPA asks Chemours to pause import of GenX waste from Netherlands to North Carolina

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston
Published November 9, 2023 at 6:28 AM EST
Parts of the Cape Fear River near Fayetteville, N.C., are contaminated with a PFAS compound called GenX. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is surveying residents in the area about their health.
Mark Wilson
/
Getty Images
Parts of the Cape Fear River near Fayetteville, N.C., are contaminated with a PFAS compound called GenX. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is surveying residents in the area about their health.

After North Carolina’s Governor urged the Environmental Protection Agency to reverse the decision to allow the import of forever chemicals for disposal, EPA requested that Chemours pause imports of the waste from the Netherlands to its Fayetteville facility.

Governor Roy Cooper sent a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan about the ruling to let waste material containing GenX be disposed of at the facility in Cumberland County.

EPA officials said they take such concerns seriously and will review the notices that the company has provided to ensure the public remains safe.

They added that no shipments have taken place in 2023 and none are currently en route from the Netherlands to North Carolina.

In the letter, Cooper said North Carolina has been at the forefront of PFAS issues for the past seven years and the state has worked relentlessly to mitigate the health risks posed by these chemicals; he added that it’s unacceptable to ask people that live and work here to bear the risks associated with importing millions of pounds of GenX from other countries.
Annette Weston
Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to eastern North Carolina in 2019 to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of kiddo cuddling, reading, and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.
See stories by Annette Weston