Timeline Of PFAS In The Cape Fear River

DuPont/Chemours Timeline

1977

“During the period 1977–1984, DuPont invested in building a monomer, polymer, and membrane fabrication plant in Fayetteville NC to meet the needs of the Chloralkali market.” Excerpts from a 2004 DuPont paper.

1980

DuPont publicly discloses they began manufacturing Vinyl Ether at Fayetteville Works plant, releasing GenX as byproduct – until forced to stop in 2017.

1999

Discovery from lawsuits proved DuPont was aware of health risks from PFOA/C8 and in their own testing, found it caused testicular, pancreatic and liver cancer in lab animals.

2000

MAY: 3M announces it will voluntarily phase out PFOA production. At this time, they are the only company producing PFOA.

DEC: DuPont begins manufacturing PFOA at Fayetteville Works. According to file on DEQ website, DuPont submitted permit application May 8, 2001 which indicates they started producing Teflon in Dec. 2000 (seemingly without permit). Quote from file: "...[permit application] adds wastewaters from the new Teflon® facility for fluoropolymer resin manufacturing which produces PMDF and fluoroproducts (APFO). The new facility started production in December 2000. Process wastewaters are treated in the Waste Water Treatment Plant." Not until 2004, does it show they began collecting wastewater (which contained C8) and disposing of it off-site.

2001

Class-action lawsuit against DuPont filed in West Virginia due to C8 contamination.

2004

DuPont settles water contamination suit after C8 at West Virginia plant contaminated Ohio and WV drinking water. DuPont agreed to pay $85 million directly to the residents, mostly in cash, as well as $22.6 million in attorneys' fees. DuPont will fund a medical monitoring program for up to $235 million to test local residents. The company is also providing six water districts in the two states with water-treatment systems to reduce the level of C-8 contamination.

2005

$10.25 million civil penalties against DuPont for “multiple failures to report information to EPA about substantial risk of injury to human health or the environment that DuPont obtained about PFO from as early as 1981 and as recently as 2004.”

2006

Environmental groups for the C8 Working Group to watchdog DuPont’s manufacturing of PFOA at Fayetteville Works site.

2007

U.S. EPA publishes paper discovering PFAS in the Cape Fear River.

2009

U.S. EPA issues provisional health advisory for PFOA (400 ppt) and PFOS (200 ppt).

EPA directs DuPont to substitute PFOA with GenX at Fayetteville plant 'voluntarily'.

2010

DuPont began communicating with NC DEQ about phasing out PFOA (C8) by 2015 - and replacing it with GenX. Due to laws protecting privacy for corporations, the actual date of replacement of C8 with GenX is unknown. Internal docs have been published by DEQ that shed some light on this and the CFPUA notice of intent to file civil suit provides some insight.

2012

GenX reported in river by scientists, including 2 from EPA - published findings in 2015.

2013 - 2014

GenX in Cape Fear River found at more than 9 times EPA lifetime advisory limit for similar chemical (PFOA). No advisory limit exists for the unregulated GenX. Chemours claims it installed technology to reduce discharge of GenX.

2014

It is assumed DuPont stops making C8 at Fayetteville works - this is not verified due to company's ability to withhold information under privacy protections.

2015

DuPont spins off “Performance Chemicals” business and forms Chemours Co.

2016

U.S. EPA issues combined lifetime health advisory limit for PFOA/PFOS at 70 ppt.

NC State Study published, confirming GenX and 6 other unknown fluorochemicals in Cape Fear River. Sun et. al paper,

2017

DuPont and Chemours settle 3,550 lawsuits for $670.7 million in OH and WV related to PFOA contamination.

Wilmington residents publicly learn about GenX in their tap water when the local StarNews publishes a front page headline story called “Toxins Taint CFPUA Drinking Water.”

Clean Cape Fear and Cape Fear River Watch host the first ever public forum on GenX, which drew more than 300 attendees.

Fayetteville Observer reports PFOA is found in wells near the Fayetteville Works plant.

2018

Cape Fear River Watch sues Chemours and NCDEQ. A settlement is reached after four months of litigation.

Emily Donovan testifies testifies before Congress, for the first time, about NC's PFAS contamination crisis.

2019

Consent order between Cape Fear River Watch, Chemours and NCDEQ is finalized.

Emily Donovan testifies before Congress in The Devil They Knew – PFAS Contamination and the Need for Corporate Accountability hearing.

2020

Clean Cape Fear partners with Center for Environmental Health and organizes a coalition of NC environmental and justice groups to petition U.S. EPA to issue human health and toxicity testing orders on 54 Chemours specific PFAS.

2022

Clean Cape Fear participated on the conference planning team for the 3rd National PFAS Conference as the lead local organizer. The three day event was hosted in Wilmington, NC in June 2022. Emily Donovan presented at the conference.

U.S. EPA announces new health advisories for 4 PFAS at 3rd National PFAS Conference hosted in Wilmington, NC. Final health advisories for GenX (10 ppt), PFBS (2,000 ppt), interim health advisories for PFOA (0.004 ppt), PFOS (0.02 ppt).

2023

U.S. EPA Administrator Micheal Regan hosts a press conference in Wilmington to announce proposed first-ever drinking water standards for 6 PFAS—including GenX.

NRDC publishes a tap water study in Science of the Total Environment showing the highest levels of unmonitored PFAS were found in the Brunswick County, North Carolina samples. Clean Cape Fear participated in the study.

ABC News releases a docuseries called Trouble on Tap. The first episode focuses on PFAS in the lower Cape Fear River basin. Emily Donovan is featured in this episode.

2024

United Nations human rights experts officially call out Chemours and DuPont for business-related human rights abuses in North Carolina after investigation a communication sent by Clean Cape Fear.

U.S. EPA finalizes first every federal drinking water standards for 6 PFAS including GenX. Emily Donovan introduced EPA Administrator, Micheal Regan, during the official press conference in Fayetteville, NC.

Other Helpful Timelines

Chemical companies like 3M and DuPont knew PFAS were toxic in the 1950s and 1960s. Check out Environmental Working Group’s timeline documenting these discoveries.

Environmental Sociologist, Rebecca Altman, documents the haunting connection between the atomic bomb and PFAS. Click here to learn about the birth of fluorocarbon chemistry.

2017 - 2018 Detailed Timeline

2017

FEB: $670.7 million settlement: DuPont and Chemours will pay plaintiffs to settle 3,550 lawsuits related to the release of PFOA in Ohio and WV. Medical testing required under previous lawsuit is what brought about the additional 3500 lawsuits filed by residents in Ohio and WV. The companies also agreed to pay up to an additional $50 million a year for the next five years for any additional claims that might arise.

JUN 7: Wilmington residents publicly learn about GenX in their tap water when the local StarNews publishes a front page headline story called “Toxins Taint CFPUA Drinking Water.”

JUN 12: NC Dpt. Health and Human Services releases statement claiming they believe GenX "poses a low risk."

JUN 15: Closed door meeting with NC officials and Chemours; Wilmington Mayor demands Chemours stop all discharge of GenX in river immediately.

JUN 19: DEQ announces staff will sample at 13 locations for three weeks; Chemours agreed to bear all costs.

JUN 20: Chemours announces it will stop GenX discharge; EPA announces investigation into Chemours for "...compliance with 2009 order issued under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for the production of GenX, and toxicity data submitted by the company, as required under the consent order, and updating the risk assessment using the additional toxicity data specific to GenX.”

JUN 21: Clean Cape Fear and Cape Fear River Watch host the first Water Wednesday, a GenX forum which drew more than 300 attendees.

JUN 27: DEQ officials’ onsite inspection finds Chemours capturing wastewater into storage tanks for shipment and burning in Arkansas

JUL 5: Cape Fear Public Utility Authority's Executive Director, Jim Flechtner announces at a Clean Cape Fear Water Wednesday event that CFPUA will send mailers to all customers.

JUL 6: CFPUA board chair confirms bilingual mailers will be sent to all CFPUA customers "in the coming weeks."

JUL 7: CFPUA attorneys send letter to NCDEQ

JUL 10: Clean Cape Fear met with Downtown Business Alliance to discuss "Clean Water Promise" initiative

JUL 12: CFPUA Board Meeting: Clean Cape Fear, specifically Harper Peterson and Kemp Burdette were thanked for their role in communicating the issue with the public and inviting CFPUA to forums etc. CCF's Harper Peterson spoke during public comment. Find minutes at: http://cfpua.iqm2.com/Citizens/Default.aspx

JUL 13: NCDEQ site visit finds Chemours STILL discharging GenX. Chemours claims it is stopping processing of those operations.

https://deq.nc.gov/additional-genx-discharge-chemours-facility-identified-and-stopped

JUL 14: AFTER CLEAN CAPE FEAR SUBMITTED QUESTIONS TO DHHS asking them how they got their safe level number, DHHS announces STEEP drop to safe levels from 70,909 parts per trillion (ppt) to 140 ppt, based on "newly discovered" data; DEQ and DHHS joint press release HERE; DHHS Q and A on updated Risk Assessment HERE

JUL 14: TEST RESULTS: Early results from all 13 test sites can be found on the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s GenX website - HERE; A document showing the results in a spreadsheet is HERE

JUL 24: Governor Cooper's visit to Wilmington.

JUL 21: Gov. Cooper calls Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald to request they perform a public health assessment of the long-term health effects of GenX.

JUL 26: Clean Cape Fear hosts Just the Facts Please: An Evening With Scientists. during which it is announced that a grant request is being submitted to conduct human health studies on residents.

JUL 27: DEQ releases new data from water sampled along the Cape Fear River July 12 and 13.

JUL 28: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina issues a subpoena to DEQ for six years of records and documents related to GenX and other fluorinated chemicals produced at the Chemours' Fayetteville Works facility to include permits, reports, emails, research and notes; deadline for delivery to Wilmington grand - Aug. 22, 2017

Cooper expands the charter of the state's Science Advisory Board for appointment by secretaries of DEQ and DHHS of 11 members to help environmental and health officials determine "factors for establishing acceptable levels for contaminants," among other things.

AUG 2: Test results released from sampling locations along the Cape Fear River from July 17 to 20

AUG 3: CFPUA sends intent to sue letter to Chemours.

AUG 8: Leaders with DEQ and DHHS request $2.6 million in additional funding from the legislature. More info on the request and which legislators have opposed it and/or supported it can be found HERE.

AUG 9: Test results from sampling locations along the Cape Fear River from July 24 to 27.

AUG. 10: A group of Republican state senators, including Sen. Bill Rabon (R-Brunswick) and Sen. Michael Lee (R-New Hanover), send a series of questions to Cooper in response to his request for more DEQ/DHHS funding.

AUG 14: DEQ and DHHS respond to the above series of questions.

AUG 15-19: Erin Brokovich and 'water guy' Robert Bowcock visit Wilmington. They attend a forum (no other panelists accepted), a closed-door meeting with elected and civic leaders, and were slated to attend a water rally, which they did not end up speaking at, based on Brokovich's comment to organizer (Beth Markesino of Wilmington's Stop GenX in Our Water Facebook page) that she had a family emergency.

AUG 23: Port City Daily story indicates Sen. Lee will not support funding to CFPUA, INSTEAD of DEQ/DHHS. Letter from well-funded lobby may have instigated this idea.

AUG 31: NCDEQ released report from EPA showing TWO NEW likely toxic compounds have likely been being discharged from the Fayetteville Works plant by Chemours/DuPont since 1980.

NC passes HB56, allocating funding to CFPUA and UNCW for GenX related testing.

EPA releases report indicating two more unregulated compounds - they are calling Nafion Byproduct 1 and Nafion Byproduct 2 - are at high levels in Cape Fear River

NC DEQ released a statement August 31 saying it “is looking at all legal options including going to court to get the company to stop the discharge
Chemours Senior VP sells 13,337 shares of Chemours stock for $646,577.76

SEP 5: DEQ sends notice of intent to suspend Chemours’ discharge permit

NCDOJ, on behalf of DEQ, sends summons and letter with summons to Chemours

Chemours insider (President of Titanium Technologies) sells $641,550.00 worth of Chemours stock; he sold stock worth $462,000 in August - two trades totally $1.1 million

SEP 6: DEQ announces it will issue a notice of violation to Chemours for groundwater contamination near the plant.

SEP 8: Partial Consent Order issued in Bladen County Court between DEQ and Chemours - full order found HERE

Chemours attorneys send letter to DEQ attacking the agency and accusing it of breaking law

SEP 12: Bladen County Commissioner Peterson threatens to sue the state of NC for its actions against Chemours

SEP 13: Fayetteville Observer reports C8 is found in wells near the Fayetteville Works plant

SEP 14: DEQ announces it will test wells near Fayetteville works; Chemours will also test wells near the facility, Star News reports

SEP 15: Clean Cape Fear and school boards announce pilot to provide clean drinking water to low-income students in New Hanover and Brunswick Counties.

Test shows that GenX is traveling by air, NC Policy Watch reports

SEP 27: DEQ orders Chemours to supply water to 8 more personal drinking wells (making total 19 to date) through Chemours' test samples and DEQ samples - analyzed by separate labs showing GenX at higher than DHHS 'safe' level - https://deq.nc.gov/state-directs-chemours-provide-bottled-water-eight-more-well-owners-after-latest-preliminary-tests

SEP 28: The N.C. House of Representatives’ Special Select Committee on North Carolina River Quality meets with DEQ and DHHS. ALL presentations available at: this site

OCT 3: New Hanover County resident Brent Nix files Class Action lawsuit on behalf of all other similarly situated

OCT 4: Seven more homes' wells tested above 140 ppt of GenX - Chemours must supply them bottled water - total is up to 26 households

Lawmakers Override Gov. Cooper Veto of HB56 - funding CFPUA and UNCW - ignoring request to fund DEQ and DHHS

OCT 5: DEQ orders expansion of private wells to be tested near Chemours facility

OCT 9: Contaminants possibly leaching out of filtration systems - Dr. Knappe researching

OCT 11: CFPUA board meeting in which Councilman and board appointee O'Grady filed motion to support funding DEQ and DHHS - motion was denied.

OCT 16: CFPUA sends letter of intent to file for violations of Clean Water Act (60 days notice given August 3, 2017)

OCT 19: Two Cumberland County schools tested for GenX

Clean Cape Fear member Emily Donovan attends Science Cafe

OCT 20: CFPUA releases first results of plant-wide filtration testing.

Brunswick county resident Roger Morton files Class Action lawsuit on behalf of all others similarly situated

OCT 23: Leland resident Victoria Carey files Class Action lawsuit on behalf of all others similarly situated after testing her water heater and finding high levels of GenX

Members of Clean Cape Fear attend the State's first Science Advisory Panel meeting in Raleigh

OCT 26: House Select Committee on River Water Quality meeting in Raleigh. Presentations HERE

OCT 30: CFPUA sends public information request to DEQ

OCT 31: Brunswick County announces it has filed lawsuit against Chemours.

NOV 1: GenX Exposure Study begins for Wilmington residents only.

NOV 3: DEQ instructs Chemours to provide bottled water to 15 more residents near the plant - total is now 50

NOV 7: DEQ releases results of lakes and baseball field water - showing high levels of GenX - indicating it traveled by air.

WWAY reports that Brunswick County refused 200,000 funding to supply clean water to some public schools, funds were secured by Clean Cape Fear member Emily Donovan

NOV 9: Star News reports on Chemical Spill that occurred at the Chemours site October 6.

NOV 14: Air leak at Fayetteville Plant's vinyl ether processing area releases 55 pounds of hexafluoropropylene oxide (HFPO) and 70 pounds of HFPO dimer acid fluoride. DEQ investigating for possible violation of air permit.

NOV 16: DEQ sends letter to Chemours notifying of intent to revoke wastewater permit and partial suspension of wastewater permit. DEQ press release

NOV 19: NC Senators Burr and Tillis announce they will not support nomination of business-friendly Michael Dourson to head the EPA's Chemical Safety Division.

NOV 21 - 25: Clean Cape Fear sends postcards to residents in Bladen and Cumberlands Counties within 3 mile radius of Fayetteville Plant with information on how to request water and air sampling.

NOV 30: Chemours sends compliance letter by deadline (Nov. 30) to DEQ in response to Nov. 16 DEQ notice of partial suspension and intent to revoke wastewater permit. DEQ cannot take further action to revoke permit until Jan. 15 (per 60-days notice rule).

CCF members attend House Select Committee on NC River Quality in Raleigh.

DEC 4: Science Advisory Board meets, DEQ announces GenX found in honey.

DEC 13: Judge orders Belville to retain H2GO’s assets, all parties to cease reverse osmosis construction.

30 more private wells found with GenX at levels higher than NCDHHS goal, bringing number up to 115.

DEC 14: 350 citizens show up for Bladen County GenX forum.

Trump industry-friendly EPA chemical safety nominee withdraws.

DEC 18: Chemours breaking ground on new R & D facility in Wilmington, DE.

DEC 21: Chemours announces price increase in fluorchemicals.

GenX cousin chemicals found in Jordan Lake which supplies drinking water 700,000 residents living in the Raleigh, NC area.

DEC 26: DowDuPont and Chemours ordered to clean up lead, arsenic and other pollutants in Chicago.

DEC 29: Contaminated wells found across river from plant.

2018

JAN 5: House Select Committee on River Water Quality holds meeting in Raleigh - after snowmageddan crippled travelers from the area hit. Only 10 people were there to comment. 9 of which opposed the legislation - that did nothing and provided zero funding to DEQ or DHHS

JAN 10: Clean Cape Fear went to Raleigh for the special session - witnessed appropriations committee approve funding for House Bill 189 ; witnessed House approve bill; Senate had left for the day. See media timeline and our FB page for more on this political theater.

JAN 17: Judge orders class-actions to be filed together - lawyers (one who handled Flint cases) assigned.

JAN 20: Robeson County announces it will offer free well testing.

Clean Cape Fear co-founder Lynne Shoemaker's Wilmington Organizing for Women holds Women's March in Wilmington. Three members of Clean Cape Fear speak

JAN 23: Four NC Senators send letter to EPA asking for an audit of NCDEQs compliance with federal law and asking EPA to clarify NC state law for senators.

JAN 29: DEQ receives letter from Chemours about a 1-gallon leak of dimer acid

JAN 30: Southern Environmental Law Center sends letter to four senators (who sent above letter) providing them legal support in actions they can take now

FEB 1: DEQ holds another information session - Bladen Community College, providing updates from Division of Water Resources (spike at outfall most likely due to soil contamination; continuing composite sampling); Division of Waste Mgmt (continuing to study soil and rainwater around site, and beginning fish tissue sampling from Marshwood Lake; Division of Air Quality: Chemours hired firm to test 2 air stacks; DEQ asked for split sampling so samples will be sent to EPA as well).

Many residents spoke about concern for their health and that of their children and grandchildren; some who are outside the current range of testing asked for their well to be tested; Rep. Billy Richardson made plea for Precautionary Principle; residents called for voters to vote out legislators not taking action; said Chemours should be there and it they shouldn't have to live like they'r camping.

FEB 2: DEQ receives letter from Chemours about a loading hose leak

FEB 9: DEQ approves of air-stack scrubber pilot

Senate releases their version of House bill 189

FEB 12: DEQ issues notice of violation due to groundwater contamination.

FEB 14: DEQ receives notification by email of two more chemical spills at the plant