Chemical Manufacturer Settles Federal Clean Water Act Suit

Chemical manufacturer Chemours entered into a $450 million settlement with the federal government for alleged violations of the Clean Water Act and other federal laws related to alleged PFAS discharges in West Virginia, North Carolina, and New Jersey. Under the settlement, Chemours will be required to bring its facilities into compliance with its NPDES permits;…

North Carolina Community Seeking PFAS Remediation at County Landfill

The Southern Environmental Law Center filed a citizen suit on behalf of a North Carolina community group seeking to require Robeson County to abate PFAS groundwater contamination from a county-owned landfill. The suit also alleges that the county-owned public water facility is sourcing public drinking water from the contaminated groundwater, allegedly putting human health and…

North Carolina Court Upholds Attorney General’s Authority to Pursue PFAS Suits

A North Carolina court has denied a motion to dismiss an environmental lawsuit brought by the state against chemical manufacturers over alleged PFAS contamination caused by operations at a chemical manufacturing facility. The defendants argued that the state attorney general lacked authority to maintain the suit following the repeal of N.C.G.S. § 114-2(8)(a), which previously…

Fourth Circuit Affirms EPA’s Approach to PFAS Testing Under the TSCA

Pursuant to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), several North Carolina–based citizens groups petitioned the EPA in 2020 to initiate testing of 54 individual PFAS. The EPA responded by agreeing to test seven of the PFAS and to potentially test nine more. The groups viewed this as a denial of their petition and, in 2021,…

North Carolina Attorney General Sues Chemical Companies for Selling PFAS-Rich Firefighting Foam

The Office of Attorney General of North Carolina filed a civil complaint against 3M Company and other chemical companies, alleging that the defendant chemical companies knew the dangers of producing PFAS-rich aqueous film-forming firefighting foam, but continued to sell the product at the risk of human health. November 23, 2022 | State v. 3M Co….