ELIZABETHTOWN — The Department of Environmental Quality filed a revised consent order in Bladen County Superior Court on Wednesday

“People affected by GenX and PFAS pollution in the Cape Fear River basin deserve real relief, and this order provides that relief,” said DEQ Secretary Michael Regan in a release. “We listened to the comments from the community, from leaders and from public utilities and have established a strong path forward to protect water quality and public health.”

GenX is a trade name for C3 dimer acid, a compound used in the manufacture of products such as food packaging, nonstick coatings and firefighting foam. It’s also a byproduct of certain manufacturing processes. GenX became more widely known in June 2017 when it became known it was found in the Cape Fear River.

PFAS is the common name for per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds.

The revised order will hold the Chemours Company accountable for PFAS contamination, says DEQ in the release. This is also supposed to give relief for GenX in the Cape Fear Region.

Yet to some residents that is still not enough. Mike Watters, who lives near the plant, feels that DEQ still isn’t being transparent.

“I am requesting that copies of all public records for any and all communications received in reference to the Proposed Consent Order be posted immediately,” he said in an email. “The public deserves to see all the comments that were submitted. I also want in writing why the public comments had not been posted in accordance with laws regarding public records.”

Watters is the administrator of the Facebook Group “Grays Creek Residents United against GENX in our Wells and Rivers.”

“We the ‘affected parties’…deserve to understand how an appointed Secretary and his staff can circumvent NC enacted laws,” Watters wrote.

Bladen County Superior Court, DEQ and “for certain portions, Cape Fear River Watch” will be supervising the implementation of the revised order, an order that DEQ is saying is “critical step to provide relief to people around the Fayetteville Works facility and to communities downstream.”

The goal of the order will be reduce and prevent more contamination of the soil, air and water. The public has submitted almost 400 comments to DEQ since November.

Another resident that lives even closer than Watters is Derrick Martin.

“Where is the public water connection cost by Chemours for all residents around the contaminated area?” he said. “The state again gives Chemours an out to provide under-sink reverse osmosis drinking water systems or whole building filtration system to homes near its Bladen County plant. This is much more cheaper for Chemours.”

Martin wants justice, enforcement and accountability.

“Where is the financial assistance for any homeowner wanting to sell their house but cannot or take a severe loss?” he said.

The revisions are going to require Chemours to report their air emissions of GenX compounds monthly, measure PFAS contamination downstream at the public utilities’ water intakes and also analyze the level of contamination of PFAS in the river sediment. Chemours will also have to clean up the old outfall site.

They will also have to “provide effective systems to treat drinking water fountains and sinks in public buildings” and “ensure that filtration systems are operating properly and are maintained for a minimum of 20 years”.

The order was signed by Regan on behalf of DEQ, representatives of Chemours, the Cape Fear River Keeper and their counsel of record, the Southern Environmental Law Center.

The order, a detailed summary of responses to public comments, and a fact sheet are available on the DEQ website at deq.nc.gov.

Emily M. Williams

Bladen Journal

Emily M. Williams can be reached at 910-247-9133 or ewilliams@bladenjournal.com.