Press Releases

Concentrations of GenX at Chemours’ wastewater discharge outfall in Fayetteville exceeded the state’s provisional drinking water health goal in late October and early November, according to preliminary water quality data the state Department of Environmental Quality received from the company this week. DEQ is investigating the cause of the spike and has demanded answers from Chemours, which is supposed to be capturing GenX rather than releasing it into the Cape Fear River.

Since 1997, the North Carolina Brownfields Program has been turning contaminated properties into viable, successful businesses and community areas. The program, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, works with prospective developers who did not cause or contribute to contamination of an abandoned or unused property they wish to redevelop. A brownfields agreement limits the liability of a prospective developer so the developer can remove or reduce contamination on the property so it can be reused safely.

Local advisory committees for three coastal reserves will meet in December. The meetings are open to the public.

North Carolinians with ideas about how to use $92 million from a court settlement to improve North Carolina’s air quality are encouraged to share their ideas as the State of North Carolina develops its plan. Governor Roy Cooper named the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) as the lead agency to develop its Volkswagen mitigation plan. Close to 18,700 of the affected vehicles are registered in North Carolina, making the state eligible to receive more than $92 million dollars from the national settlement with Volkswagen AG and its Audi and Porsche affiliates.

State environmental officials today recognized the long-lasting achievements of the state’s Dry-Cleaning Solvent Cleanup Act (DSCA) Program, which has been cleaning up historical contamination and preventing future releases for the past 20 years.

The state Department of Environmental Quality is investigating reports of an air emissions leak at Chemours’ Fayetteville facility and whether the leak constitutes a violation of the company’s air permit.

State environmental officials today recognized Firestone Fibers and Textiles’ Gastonia Plant for its outstanding environmental performance.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality announced today it is moving to revoke Chemours’ permit to discharge process wastewater because the company failed to comply with its permit and failed to report an October spill.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality has cited Chemours with violating the conditions of its wastewater discharge permit because the company failed to report an Oct. 6 chemical spill at its Fayetteville Works facility.

The state Division of Air Quality will hold a public hearing on Wednesday to obtain community feedback on a draft air quality permit for the proposed Northampton Compressor Station, which would be built as part of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline project.