A major North Carolina water utility is doubling down on its legal battle against the chemical companies it blames for polluting the state’s drinking water.
Aqua North Carolina filed a second federal lawsuit on Friday, accusing DuPont, Chemours, and Corteva of contaminating water systems with "forever chemicals."
This time, the utility is using a powerful new legal weapon: the federal "Polluter Pays" law. By suing under CERCLA, Aqua NC is demanding that these companies—not taxpayers—foot the bill for cleaning up toxic PFAS.
The lawsuit claims the companies knowingly dumped hazardous substances into the Cape Fear River and surrounding groundwater for decades.
This move follows a recent EPA decision to label these chemicals as hazardous, opening the door for utilities to seek massive damages for filtration and remediation costs.
