Chemours
The Chemours Company announced plans to spend over $100 million at its Fayetteville Works plant site in Fayetteville, North Carolina to improve air and wastewater emission control.
The commitment includes investing in an array of emission control technologies, including a thermal oxidizer and a thermolysis reactor, as well as other technology that in combination is expected to result in an overall 99% reduction of air and water emissions of C3 dimer acid (also referred to as GenX) and other PFAS compounds.
The development of this plan and these long-term solutions is the result of active consultation with external experts. Chemours also presented the elements of the plan to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in presentations made over the past few months, including a detailed submission made to DEQ on Friday, April 27, 2018.
“We are committed to taking a leadership role with respect to environmental stewardship at our facilities and being a good neighbor,” said Paul Kirsch, president of Chemours’ fluoroproducts business unit. “This means going beyond our legal and regulatory requirements to meet local community expectations now and in the future.”
This technology includes custom-designed, specialized equipment (such as the thermal oxidizer) that will take approximately 18-24 months to manufacture and install. The design-and-manufacturing process is currently underway. In the interim, Chemours is taking additional steps that will control and substantially reduce air emissions of C3 dimer acid almost immediately, with the majority being eliminated by year’s end. These measures include the installation of carbon adsorption beds in May; upgrades to a waste gas scrubber from May through October; and the continuation of the enhanced Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) program that began in January of this year.
Dr. Damian Shea, Professor of Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology at North Carolina State University, recently completed a detailed analysis of the currently available data regarding GenX. Dr. Shea said, “Over a decade of scientific data has been collected regarding the safety profile of C3 dimer acid. These data, including numerous toxicology studies, provide compelling scientific evidence that the low levels of C3 dimer acid detected in the environment do not pose a risk to human health.”
Fayetteville Works Plant Manager Brian Long said: “Chemours is committed to enhancing our operations in North Carolina and being a valued member of the local community. Since we first became aware of the community’s concerns, we have focused our attention not on public debate, but on finding ways to virtually eliminate air and water emissions from our operations. We believe we now have the right answer for the long-term, which is why we have started outreach efforts with the surrounding community.”
