The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) has joined forces with two other states to request that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designate several PFAS chemicals as toxic air pollutants. PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals,” can contaminate soil, groundwater, and drinking water sources.
Alongside the New Mexico Environment Department and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, NCDEQ petitioned the EPA to add four specific PFAS chemicals—PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, and GenX—to the list of Hazardous Air Pollutants under the Clean Air Act. According to the NCDEQ, this move aims to protect public health and the environment from airborne PFAS emissions.
North Carolina has experience managing PFAS contamination, particularly after discovering GenX and other PFAS in the Cape Fear River in 2017, which led to the suspension of processed wastewater discharge from the Chemours Fayetteville Works. Following this, NCDEQ filed a lawsuit against Chemours, resulting in a 2019 consent order requiring the company to mitigate PFAS impacts across various environmental media.
NCDEQ’s efforts have been crucial in linking significant PFAS air emissions from the Chemours facility to widespread groundwater contamination affecting thousands of private drinking water wells. These actions have helped mitigate the impact on human health and the environment.
What do you think about the request?
