EPA pauses approval for Chemours to import foreign GenX waste to NC

The Environmental Protection Agency may be reconsidering its October decision to allow Chemours to import waste material containing GenX from the Netherlands to North Carolina.

GenX is chemical in the class of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) or "forever chemicals" which have been linked to adverse health risks, including cancer.

In response to recent concerns expressed by stakeholders including the state of North Carolina and Brunswick County, EPA requested that Chemours pause imports of the waste from the Netherlands to its Fayetteville, North Carolina facility.

An EPA official said in a statement, in part, "EPA takes these concerns seriously and will review the notices that the company has provided to ensure the public remains safe. EPA has been informed that no shipments have taken place in 2023 and none are currently en route from the Netherlands to North Carolina."

Governor Roy Cooper has expressed concern over the approval in recent days.

In a letter to EPA administrator Michael Regan Tuesday, Cooper expressed "dismay" over the agency's initial decision to allow Chemours to import as much as 4,400,000 pounds of foreign PFAS-containing waste material over the next 12 months.

“This approval should be reconsidered and reversed,” Cooper wrote.

An EPA official said the agency carefully reviews proposed imports of waste products and that it provided conditional consent to the shipment of RCRA non-hazardous GenX waste based on the information provided by Chemours.

Chemours says it plans to recycle and reuse the imported GenX, but it's unclear if the shipments could increase contamination to surrounding communities.

In 2017, researchers discovered Chemours had dumped forever chemicals including GenX into the Cape Fear River, a drinking water supply for 1.5 million people. Tens of thousands of wells surrounding the plant have also been contaminated.

EPA says it plans to work in close partnership with the NC Department of Environmental Quality, as well as maintain a constructive dialogue with Chemours, to protect nearby communities from any potential exposure to the PFAS known as GenX.

Community groups including NC Stop GenX in our Water are organizing a protest at the Fayetteville Works Facility on Saturday, November 18th from 12-3p.m.