NC DEQ directs Chemours to increase well testing for PFAS
(Getty Images)
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality is asking chemical company Chemours to expand testing for PFAS contamination in wells, the agency announced this week.
As a result, approximately 150,000 additional residences are now eligible for private well testing in the expanded area, which covers portions of Harnett and Hoke counties around the Fayetteville Works plant.
Residents interested in having their wells sampled should call Chemours at (910) 678-1101 or complete Chemours' online form: https://edataroom.uspioneer.com/ChemoursNC.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are synthetic chemicals found in many consumer products and industrial processes. They are called 'forever chemicals' due to their difficulty in breaking down in the environment.
The extension follows a lengthy review of existing residential well data around the facility conducted by staff at NC DEQ and Chemours, making predictions for more contamination beyond the known areas.
As NC Newsline has previously reported, PFAS have been linked to multiple health problems, including thyroid and liver disorders, reproductive and fetal development problems, immune system deficiencies and kidney and testicular cancers.
The increased well testing areas will 'speed up the sampling process for sites that receive primary drinking water from private wells and provide access to clean water to impacted homeowners surrounding the facility,' DEQ shared in a press release.
Upon analyzing compounds at different testing sites around the state, the agency found PFAS like PMPA, GenX, and PFo2HxA, DEQ chemist Amy Delinsky shared on Thursday during a presentation at the Air and Waste Management Association's PFAS conference in Raleigh.
Staff examined samples of both dry and wet deposition. The latter refers to pollutants transported to the planet's surface through precipitation like rain or fog, while dry deposition is when pollutants settle directly on the ground without precipitation — meaning they are deposited as gases or particles carried by air currents.
'For GenX, we have slightly more oxygen in dry samples compared to the wet,' Delinsky said.
The state agency also plans to announce updates on the Lower Cape Fear region in the future.
DEQ's waste management division will hold a virtual public meeting to provide more information and answer questions about expanded well testing on April 1 at 6 p.m.
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