Chemours has also agreed to stop discharging wastewater containing GenX into the Cape Fear River by the end of June 2018. The company faces additional scrutiny from the EPA, which has ordered Chemours to investigate and clean up its environmental mess. And the state of North Carolina is considering whether to require Chemours to pay for a health study on the potentially affected residents.
GenX is just the latest in a long line of environmental problems tied to Teflon. DuPont’s C8 problems began to emerge in the late 1990s, leading to a $670 million settlement with plaintiffs in 2017. The company also paid $16.5 million in fines and restitution to the EPA in 2005 for hiding the dangers of C8. Chemours itself disclosed in December 2017 that it was facing potential criminal charges over environmental releases from a plant in West Virginia.
The GenX crisis is not just a public relations challenge for Chemours; it’s also a business problem. The company’s stock price has fallen by a third since the news broke about GenX. Its legal liability is growing—DuPont and Chemours are facing more than 3,500 lawsuits related to GenX—and the company has said it could face civil and criminal penalties, as well as regulatory actions.
For a company that has been riding high on the success of Teflon, the GenX controversy is a stark reminder of the risks and responsibilities that come with being a major chemical manufacturer. As Chemours grapples with the fallout from its environmental problems, it remains to be seen whether the company can regain the trust of its customers, investors, and the communities it serves.
GenX is just one compound in a family of thousands of related chemicals, some of which have been linked to serious health problems. The exact effects of GenX on human health are still not fully understood, but studies have shown that it can accumulate in the body and may be linked to various health issues.
Residents near the Chemours factory in North Carolina have been understandably concerned about the potential health risks associated with GenX contamination in their water supply. The fact that Chemours has been ordered to provide bottled water to many residents and has committed to spending $100 million to reduce emissions is a clear indication that there are legitimate concerns about the impact of their operations on the community.
While the CEO of Chemours maintains that there is no evidence that the discharges have adversely impacted anyone’s health, the ongoing litigation and uncertainty surrounding the future of the company suggest that the situation is far from resolved. The shadow of controversy surrounding Teflon and GenX continues to loom large, and it may be some time before a resolution is reached for both the company and the affected residents.
The situation with GenX contamination in the Cape Fear River is a complex and troubling one. The fact that Chemours had been releasing this chemical into the river for over 30 years without proper regulation or oversight is concerning. The admission by Chemours that GenX was a by-product of other chemical production at the factory, and that it had been released into the river as far back as 1980, raises serious questions about environmental stewardship and corporate responsibility.
While it is positive that GenX levels have decreased since Chemours began shipping its wastewater off-site, the fact remains that there are still a wide range of other related perfluorinated chemicals present in the water. The health advisory levels set by North Carolina may not have force of law, but they serve as a guideline for protecting human health. The presence of these chemicals in the water, even at levels below the advisory limit, raises concerns about the long-term impact on public health and the environment.
It is important for regulatory agencies, local officials, and the companies involved to work together to address this issue and ensure that the water supply is safe for consumption. Transparency, accountability, and proactive measures to prevent further contamination are crucial in protecting the health and well-being of the community affected by GenX contamination. Highway 87, across the street from the Chemours plant in Bladen County. Jeremy Lange for Fortune
Photographed by Jeremy Lange for Fortune
As the legal battles continue and the EPA investigates, residents like Jim MacRae and his neighbors continue to deal with the uncertainty and fear of contaminated water. The potential health risks associated with exposure to GenX are still not fully understood, and the long-term effects on both human health and the environment remain a concern.
It is clear that more research and regulation are needed to address the issue of emerging contaminants like GenX and to protect the health and safety of communities across the country. The story of GenX serves as a reminder of the importance of environmental monitoring and the need for greater transparency and accountability in the chemical industry.
87, direkt vor dem Eingang zum Chemours-Werk. Jeremy Lange für Fortune
Fotografiert von Jeremy Lange für Fortune
An einem sonnigen Tag im Frühling mietete ich ein Kajak in Wilmington und fuhr vorbei an der Papierfabrik und dem Schlachthaus zum William O. Huske Lock and Dam direkt unterhalb des Chemours-Werks. Ich setzte das Kajak in den Fluss ein und begann flussaufwärts zu paddeln. Der Cape Fear war ruhig und still. Das Wasser stand hoch, und das Chemours-Abflussrohr war untergetaucht und unsichtbar. Ich paddelte weiter und kam schließlich zu den großen Rohren, aus denen das Unternehmen Wasser aus dem Fluss entnimmt. Ich konnte das Werk hören, aber es war fast vollständig hinter den Bäumen versteckt.
Ich dachte an Teflon und an einen Ausschnitt einer Antwort auf die Madrid-Erklärung, die von Jessica Bowman, der Präsidentin des FluoroCouncil, verfasst wurde. „Die Bedeutung der PFAS-Chemie“, schrieb sie, „wurde bereits vor langer Zeit vom Markt bestimmt.“ Das war wahr. Jeder, mit dem ich sprach, hatte eine Verbindung zu Teflon und seinen Nachkommen. Es war in der Stent seines Vaters, der ihn am Leben hielt. Oder es war in dem Gore-Tex seiner Regenjacke, die ihn trocken hielt. Es war in dem Klempnerband, das das undichte Ventil in meiner Spülmaschine abdichtete. Ich dachte darüber nach, was 140 Teile pro Billion tatsächlich bedeutet, nämlich dies: 140 Tropfen Wasser in einem olympischen Schwimmbecken.
Eine Woche später nahm ich an einem Forum teil, bei dem Hoppin, Knappe und ein weiterer Kollege die Ergebnisse der Wasserproben aus den Häusern in Wilmington diskutierten. Die meisten enthielten etwas GenX, obwohl alle Konzentrationen unter den Richtwerten lagen.
Es war möglich zu glauben, dass das Ganze vielleicht vorübergehen könnte, dass GenX nicht der Sohn von C8 war und weder eine Bedrohung für die Bewohner noch für den Unternehmensgewinn von Chemours darstellte. Aber dann erinnerte ich mich daran, dass die Freisetzung von GenX mehr als 30 Jahre lang andauerte. Was sich heute im Wasser befindet, ist nicht dasselbe wie vor einem Jahr, oder fünf, oder 20.
Bevor sich das Treffen auflöste, gab es eine Frage, die jeder beantwortet haben wollte. Würden diese Forscher heute das ungefilterte Leitungswasser der Stadt trinken? Die Wissenschaftler zögerten kaum, bevor sie antworteten: Nein, nein und nochmals nein.
Dieser Artikel erschien ursprünglich in der Ausgabe vom 1. Juni 2018 von Fortune.