Source: NCDEQ, 8/17/20
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality seeks
public comment on the Addendum to the Consent Order, which requires significant
additional actions by Chemours to prevent PFAS pollution from entering the Cape
Fear River via contaminated groundwater from the Fayetteville Works Site.
Comments will be accepted through September 17. Since 2017, DEQ actions and the Consent Order have stopped the process wastewater
discharge from the facility and drastically reduced air emissions of PFAS by
99.9%. The additional actions in the Addendum to the Consent Order
between DEQ, Cape Fear River Watch and Chemours will further reduce the PFAS
contamination to the Cape Fear River and improve water quality for downstream
communities. Moving forward, Chemours is required to treat four identified 'seeps’ which account for more than half of the contaminated groundwater reaching the river in two phases. =
The interim measures to filter PFAS at an efficiency of at least 80% from the first of the four seeps will go into effect starting by Mid-November – with all four completed by April 2021. =
The permanent measure is the construction of a subsurface barrier
wall approximately 1.5 miles long and groundwater extraction system that will
remove at least 99% of PFAS to be completed by March 2023. Chemours is also required to treat on-site stormwater that is
adding residual pollution to the river with a capture and treatment system that
must remove at least 99% of PFAS. Failure to meet the schedules or achieve the removal goals will
result in financial penalties, including: =
Failure to meet the construction schedule for the interim measures
will result in fines of $5,000 per day for the first 14 days and $10,000/day
until construction is complete. =
Failure to meet the barrier wall installation schedule results in
a $150,000 fine followed by $20,000 per week until installation is complete. =
Failure to meet the barrier wall’s 95% mass loading goal in the initial demonstration results in a $500,000 fine, with a $100,000 fine for failure to meet any of the four subsequent demonstrations. Comments on the Addendum will be accepted through September 17.
Comments can be submitted electronically to comments.chemours@ncdenr.gov or mailed to Assistant Secretary’s Office, RE: Chemours Public Comments 1601 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1601. DEQ will consider the public comments before the Addendum is
presented for entry by the Bladen County Superior Court. The Addendum is
available here.
|