Chemours has agreed to a proposed $450 million settlement with U.S. federal and West Virginia regulators to resolve allegations that it illegally released PFAS into the Cape Fear, Delaware and Ohio rivers, marking what authorities describe as the first comprehensive federal settlement with a major PFAS manufacturer.
The proposed settlement, announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, requires the company to spend more than $337 million on compliance and remediation measures, including an estimated $280 million to provide alternative drinking water and approximately $60 million to improve compliance at its Washington Works manufacturing facility in West Virginia.
“This first comprehensive federal settlement against a major PFAS manufacturer delivers on the Trump Administration’s promise to make polluters pay and stop PFAS contamination at the source,” announced Jeffrey Hall, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, in a statement. “By appropriately employing the full suite of existing legal authorities, we can greatly reduce PFAS contamination of water, land, and air and even begin to mitigate past harm. This settlement brings Chemours into compliance with the law and holds it fully accountable.”
Chemours will also fund a government-supervised, $90 million PFAS mitigation program over the next 15 years and pay a $22.5 million civil penalty, with payments scheduled over three annual instalments beginning after court approval.
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According to the EPA, Chemours allegedly discharged PFAS into waterways in North Carolina, New Jersey and West Virginia without required permits or in violation of permit conditions. The settlement resolves alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Toxic Substances Control Act, and the West Virginia Water Pollution Control Act.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of synthetic chemicals widely used in industrial and consumer products because of their resistance to water, grease and stains.
Adam Gustafson, principal deputy assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, said the agreement is intended to reduce PFAS releases while allowing the company to continue manufacturing materials considered important for commercial and military applications.
“Through this commitment, Chemours will better control PFAS at its plants, allowing the company to continue its manufacturing operations while protecting communities in North Carolina, West Virginia, and New Jersey from PFAS exposure,” Gustafson said.
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey said the agreement is only part of a broader effort to address contamination issues at the Washington Works facility.
“This settlement is an encouraging first step, but it addresses only one piece of a much larger issue,” Morrisey said. “We remain actively engaged in discussions to reach a comprehensive resolution for the Washington Works facility that protects our citizens and ensures West Virginia’s communities have confidence that these issues are being addressed for the long term.”
Under the proposed consent decree, Chemours has agreed to:
- Complete 14 treatment system projects to reduce PFAS in wastewater, stormwater and groundwater at its West Virginia facility.
- Achieve at least 99% control efficiency for releases of GenX, a type of PFAS, from each facility.
- Test drinking water and provide treated or alternative water supplies to communities near facilities in West Virginia and New Jersey.
- Implement engineering recommendations to reduce releases at its North Carolina facility.
- Expand leak detection and engineering review programs to identify and reduce PFAS releases.
- Certify compliance with hazardous waste storage requirements.
In a separate statement, Chemours said the settlement aligns with its Pathway to Thrive strategy and provides greater operating certainty while resolving environmental and regulatory matters over time.
The company said the agreement expands its existing off-site drinking water programs in West Virginia, Ohio and New Jersey and supports its goal of reducing process emissions of fluorinated organic chemicals by 99% or more by 2030.
Chemours also announced that it has reached a separate settlement of less than $1 million with the West Virginia Rivers Coalition to resolve litigation filed in 2024 under the Clean Water Act over alleged permit exceedances at the Washington Works facility.
The proposed consent decree has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. It is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval.
