RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — In 2023 the Environmental Protection Agency approved waste from the chemical compound GenX to be imported from a Chemours facility in Europe to the company’s Fayetteville, North Carolina plant to be recycled.
Governor Roy Cooper joined Republican lawmakers in criticizing that decision. By late November the EPA reversed its approval. But Congressman Richard Hudson told CBS 17 the EPA had to do more. “Because of the inaction of EPA, Gen. X is not considered, by definition, a hazardous chemical. And so it can be imported from other countries into our community and that’s just wrong,” said Hudson.
In a January 31, 2024 proposal, the EPA added nine forever chemicals. including GenX, to a list of PFAS that have toxic characteristics. “But that is just the first step, and it ultimately is a multi-year process towards designating these PFAS as hazardous wastes that have to be managed differently from other solid wastes,” said Scott Faber, senior vice president of government affairs for the non-partisan Environmental Working Group.
“Unfortunately, because of the Congress shorting the EPA over and over and over again, there simply aren’t enough people to get this done as quickly as all of us would like. That doesn’t mean that this announcement isn’t important, that it’s an important first step, but until there are more people who are directed to move faster to finalize these decisions, these wastes will not be they’ll continue to be treated as subtitled ‘D’ waste or solid waste, the kind of waste we bring to our municipal landfills, not subtitle ‘C’ waste, the hazardous wastes that have to go to special landfills where the PFAS can’t ultimately be released into the environment,” said Faber.
Reclassifying chemicals like GenX to the regulatory definition of hazardous waste will eventually mean the difference of where and how it can be treated, stored and disposed of.
GenX was first discovered in 2017 in the Cape Fear River basin and drinking wells near the Cumberland County Chemours facility. Chemours has been working with the state to mitigate the issue since then, something Faber says will remain important until the EPA finalizes its plan. “Folks in North Carolina are going to have to continue to play defense against polluters from other countries, bringing their PFAS away to the United States. And it’s clear that this administration is going to make sure that that doesn’t happen, that North Carolina isn’t used as a dumping ground for other countries,” said Faber.
CBS 17 reached out to the EPA and to Congressman Hudson’s office for comment on the personnel question. Both said they are working on a response. CBS 17 also reached out to Chemours regarding the reclassification of GenX. As of this publication Chemours has not responded.
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