State environmental officials have obtained a consent order which calls on a North Carolina chemical plant to reduce emissions of a compound and pay a $12 million civil penalty.The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality said in a news release Wednesday the order requires Chemours to reduce GenX air emissions and provide permanent replacement drinking water supplies.
In addition to the civil penalty, the order calls for Chemours to pay an additional $1 million for investigative costs. Additional penalties will apply if Chemours fails to meet the conditions and deadlines established in the order.
Attorneys for the environmental agency said in a lawsuit that a months-long investigation by DEQ found Chemours contaminated the state's air, surface water and groundwater through its release of GenX.