Chemours, the chemical manufacturer tied to years of PFAS pollution along the Cape Fear River, is seeking state approval to expand production at its Fayetteville Works facility, even as downstream communities continue to grapple with the toxic legacy of its operations.
In a revised air permit application filed last month, Chemours requested authorization to double production capacity at its Vinyl Ethers North unit and increase output at its Vinyl Ethers South unit by up to 40%. Vinyl ethers are used to make fluoropolymers that the company says are essential for semiconductors, batteries and defense systems. Production includes PFAS, often called “forever chemicals,” have been linked to cancers, immune disorders and developmental harm.
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In its filing, Chemours said the project would not trigger additional federal review because emissions increases are projected to remain below regulatory thresholds. The company contends that overall fluorinated organic compound emissions would fall about 15% compared with 2021 levels, even as production increases.
In its filing, the company pledged to install additional pollution controls, including “polishing” carbon adsorption units, and cited testing that showed its thermal oxidizer destroys more than 99.99% of PFAS emissions under current conditions.
Concerns From Advocates
Emily Donovan, co-founder of the advocacy group Clean Cape Fear, said the request underscores a troubling pattern.
“We still have half a million residents here in the lower Cape Fear who are on public water and have not received any remedies from Chemours,” Donovan said. “Our rates keep going up. We had to self-pay for alternative water supplies while we were being exposed to contaminated tap water from their facility. We’ve had to self-pay for treatment upgrades.”
Communities are still mired in litigation with Chemours, while waterways and groundwater show high levels of its chemicals.
“Chemours hasn’t resolved the historic harm they created,” Donovan said. “They shouldn’t be given the opportunity to create more.”
Clean Cape Fear launched a petition opposing the expansion that has drawn more than 1,200 signatures. Donovan said the move is especially troubling given recent federal rollbacks of PFAS drinking water standards. Earlier this month, the Environmental Protection Agency withdrew four standards, including one for GenX — the compound that has defined the region’s drinking water crisis.
The group has also pressed for expanded private well testing, with more than 11,000 wells already confirmed contaminated across nine counties and nearly a third of those households still relying on bottled water.
The Department of Environmental Quality said it first received Chemours’ expansion request in 2022 and has been conducting a comprehensive review since then. Regulators said the company’s revised application, submitted Aug. 14, removed plans for a third hydrolysis line, incorporated emissions stack test results and scaled back production projections.
DEQ confirmed the latest application has been deemed “administratively complete” but noted additional information may still be required as part of a technical review. The agency plans to schedule a public engagement process, including a formal comment period and hearings, to be announced at a later date.
WRAL News reached out to Chemours and DEQ for additional comment and did not get an immediate response.