A utility that provides water in southeastern North Carolina has sued a company it accuses of polluting the Cape Fear River, where the utility gets its water.Related: GenX: The Challenge Of Regulating Emerging Compounds
The Cape Fear Public Utility Authority filed a complaint in U.S. District Court on Monday afternoon accusing Chemours and DuPont of violating the Clean Water Act and several other federal laws by putting a chemical known as GenX into the water.
The complaint calls for damages of more than $75,000.
The chemical is used to make Teflon.
Utility director Jim Fletcher told North Carolina lawmakers earlier this month that the utility's water meets the state’s recommended levels, but not enough is known about the long-term health effects of Gen-X. Fletcher said too little is known about the chemical.
A spokesman for Chemours did not immediately respond to questions about the lawsuit.