Earlier this month, a North Carolina court authorised a deal that will aim to reduce pollution along the Cape Fear River.
Water From Storms
Earlier this month, a North Carolina court granted a settlement agreement that details the next stages under a consent decree tried to negotiate by Southern Environmental Policy Center on behalf of Robe Anxiety River Watch with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Protection and Chemours, among other parties.
As a result of this agreement, the corporation is required to prevent 99 percent of the water pollution from GenX and other ‘s assertions and as on substances (PFAS) that is discharged into to the Cape Fear River from the most major sources of pollution now at site. This river serves as a supply of drinking water for the cities of Wilmington, Brunswick County, & Pender County, among other places.
According to the Southern Environmental Policy Center, the agreement was accepted by Usage patterns County Superior Court and is enforceable. It also alters the settlement agreement that the parties finalised in February 2019, which was granted by Usage patterns County Superior Court.
“Thanks to the cooperation agreement, a large portion of Chemours’ PFAS pollution is currently being kept out from the Cape Fear River.” “With the measures required by the amendment, the levels of PFAS in the stream will reduce considerably over the following year.”
Chemours is also required to reduce pollution from air pollutants by 99.99 percent and pollution from a significant on-site river by at least 99 percent under the terms of a consent agreement signed in 2019. If this agreement is combined with the 2019 Consent Order, it will assure that contamination from every additional important pathway of PFAS pollution from Chemours’ Fayetteville Works Complex to the Gulf Fear River is mitigated by at least 99 percent.
In the words of Dana Sprague, executive director of a Gulf Fear River Watch, “this addition will ensure that the river is safer for everyone downstream.”
As part of the amendment, Chemours is required to take efforts to prevent PFAS contamination from the on groundwater, streams, and stormwater runoff from entering the Cape Fear Estuary and upstream drinking water supplies. These actions include:
It is attempting to control its groundwater pollution. Chemours will construct the in barrier between both the Cape Dread River and the contaminated location where it operates. In order to remove at least 99 percent of the PFAS from the toxic groundwater contained by the barrier, Chemours will pump it out and treat it. Currently, the project is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2023.
Controlling contaminated streams that run into the Point Fear Estuary by installing in-stream filters that are subject to stringent pollution abatement criteria is being considered. It is required that when the barriers wall is constructed, the filters remove at least 99 percent of the GenX as well as other PFAS contamination in the streams as compared to the existing conditions;
Controlling stormwater runoff pollution from its site by catching and treating storm water runoff from the area of its operation that produces the most contaminated runoff.
According to the Southern Environmental Policy Center, the corporation must also submit a control measure for ensure that polluted water on- and off-site is deep cleaned and that communities in the vicinity of the facility are protected from contamination.