The Pender County Commissioners, County Manager, Pender County Health Department and Pender County Utilities are committed to providing quality, safe drinking water to our citizens, businesses, and visitors. Elected officials and county staff are working alongside surrounding counties to ensure that the public is kept informed about the presence of GENX in the water supply. In addition, staff is in regular communication with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
This webpage will be updated as new information is made available.
Content last modified: Sep 29, 2020 @ 3:09 pm
To learn more about this issue and the action that has been taken to date, see the links below:
Public Information
Pender County Updates:
- Court Approves Order to Stop PFAS from Entering Cape Fear – Monday, February 25th, 2019
- DEQ files Action to Address PFAS Pollution, Cleanup – Wednesday, February 20th, 2019
- Link to GenX and Other PFAS Overview – Tuesday, November 13th, 2018
- Link to Biomonitoring Report – Tuesday, November 13th, 2018
- State Science Advisory Board seeks public input on draft GenX report – Thursday, August 30th, 2018
- GenX Health Goal Gets Stamp of Approval – Monday, August 20th, 2018
- Secretaries’ Science Advisory Board GenX Report – Monday, August 20th, 2018
- What to expect from Tuesday’s EPA event on GenX, other chemicals – Sunday, August 12th, 2018
- GenX found in rainwater samples collected near Chemours facility – Saturday, February 23rd, 2018
- State orders Chemours to control additional sources of GenX contamination – Wednesday, February 14th, 2018
- PFAs Fact Sheet – Tuesday, February 13th, 2018
- Chemours reports two more spills at Fayetteville Works – Friday, January 26th, 2018
- State moves to revoke Chemours’ permit to discharge processed wastewater – Thursday, November 16th, 2017
- DEQ issues violation notice to Chemours for unreported chemical spill – Tuesday, November 14th, 2017
- Laboratories with GenX Testing Capabilities – Tuesday, November 14th, 2017
- Tests show GenX, PFOA and PFOS below established health goals for drinking water sites in Lower Cape Fear – Tuesday, October 31st, 2017
- State continues to scrutinize Chemours wastewater discharge, request to renew permit – Tuesday, October 24th, 2017
- State issues notice of violation against Chemours based on new groundwater tests – Wednesday, September 6th, 2017
- State orders Chemours to stop chemical releases, begins legal action and steps to suspend permit – Tuesday, September 5th, 2017
- State seeks to stop additional chemical discharges into the Cape Fear River – Thursday, August 31st, 2017
- Millis Issues Statement on Environmental Review Commission Meeting – Friday, August 25th, 2017
- Gov. Cooper visits Pender County Water Treatment Plant – Monday, July 31st, 2017
- State officials insist Wilmington water safe, yet taking action (WRAL) – Monday, July 24th, 2017
- Cooper Says State Will Deny Chemours’ Permit Request – Monday, July 24th, 2017
- Governor Cooper – Water Quality State Action Items – Monday, July 24th, 2017
- Governor Cooper to Visit Wilmington Monday For GenX Briefing – Friday, July 21st, 2017
- New Hanover County Board of Commissioners’ Letter to Governor Cooper – Thursday, July 20th, 2017
- NC DHHS: FAQ (This information was supplied by NCDHHS)
- GenX Health Risk Clarification from State Regulators (nhcgov.com)- Monday,July 17, 2017
- Local officials to hold press conference on the state’s GenX data and health assessment (nhcgov.com) – Monday, July 17, 2017
- Pender officials expect first water test results this week (Pender Post)- Monday, July 17th, 2017
- Additional GenX discharge at Chemours facility identified and stopped – Thursday, July 13th, 2017
- NCEQ GenX Investigation Webpage – Friday, June 23rd, 2017
- State Moving forward with GenX investigation – Tuesday, June 20th, 2017
- Chemours Announces Voluntary Actions to Respond to North Carolina Community – Tuesday, June 20th, 2017
- Resolution passed by Pender County Board of County Commissioners – Monday, June 19th, 2017
- Resolution passed by New Hanover County Board of County Commissioners – Monday, June 19th, 2017
- NCEQ Press Release – Monday, June 19th, 2017
- Congressman David Rouzer update on GenX – Friday, June 16th, 2017 4:10pm
- Video of Press Conference with Pender, Brunswick, and New Hanover counties with GenX producer Chemours Co. and NC Department of Environmental Quality – Thursday, June 15th, 2017 1:15pm
Pender County Health Department Updates:
NCDEQ Updates:
- State issues notice of violation against Chemours based on new groundwater tests – Wednesday, September 6th, 2017
- State orders Chemours to stop chemical releases, begins legal action and steps to suspend permit – Tuesday, September 5th, 2017
- State seeks to stop additional chemical discharges into the Cape Fear River – Thursday, August 31st, 2017
- Latest test results show GenX levels remain well below state health goal – Thursday, August 24th, 2017
- Newest sampling data shows GenX levels in Cape Fear still below health goal – Wednesday, August 9th, 2017
- DEQ, DHHS share budget request to protect water, ensure long-term monitoring, analysis and enforcement – Wednesday, August 9th, 2017
- Latest test results for finished drinking water show GenX below health goal – Wednesday, August 2nd, 2017
- Gov. Cooper expands science panel to address new or unregulated chemical – Tuesday, August 1st, 2017 (WWAY Link)
- GenX concentrations in treated water continue downward trend based on new data – Thursday, July 27th, 2017
- View the NCDEQ website for Updates on their GenX Investigation
- Governor Cooper Urges EPA to Set Limits for Emerging Contaminant GenX
- Joint DEQ, DHHS Release: State Releases First Water Quality Data, Updated Health Information for GenX in Cape Fear River
- N.C. DHHS Releases Summary of Selected Cancer Rates for Counties in Cape Fear Region
- DEQ Verifies Chemours has Stopped Discharging GenX in Wastewater
NC DHHS Updates:
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
[ultimate-faqs include_category=’genx’ ]
Letters to NCDEQ
New Hanover County and Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) sent letters to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality asking the agency to take the lead on researching this issue to evaluate the nature, extent and potential impacts of GenX as quickly as possible. View a copy of these letters below:
- Governor Cooper expands state science panel to address new or unregulated chemicals
- New Hanover County Letter to NCDEQ
- CFPUA Letter to NCDEQ
- State issues notice of violation against Chemours based on new groundwater tests
- State orders Chemours to stop chemical releases, begins legal action and steps to suspend permit
Meeting on Drinking Water Safety with Chemours
Meeting Notes: Read a summary of the meeting, provided by the Star News pool reporter in the meeting with Chemours, here.
Photos: View pictures taken at the beginning of the meeting here.
Meeting Details
A meeting with Chemours representatives took place Thursday, June 15 at 11:30 a.m. at the New Hanover County Government Center. Meeting invitees included officials from New Hanover County, City of Wilmington, Brunswick County, Pender County, Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, NC Department of Environmental Quality, and NC Department of Health and Human Services. View a press release with the meeting’s details here, and a list of invitees and attendees here.
Pool Reporter Selection
New Hanover County’s Manager provided a statement to the media regarding the selection of a pool reporter to attend the informational meeting with Chemours. You can view this statement here.
Below is a sample of questions that New Hanover County is asking The Chemours Company for the purposes of informing the public:
- What were the conditions under the TSCA consent order granted to DuPont relative to the manufacturing, processing and distribution of GenX?
- Is there an order associated with Chemours use of the chemical compound?
- Were there any limitations under the consent order in regards to discharge of GenX?
- What, if any, responsibility for use of the compound remained with DuPont? Or did it all transfer to Chemours?
- Why did Chemours install abatement technology when it did? What does it do? If it was intended to recover or recycle GenX, why is it still showing up in the water?
- How long does GenX last in water? Does it stay in the same chemical form? Does it sit on the bottom of the river?
- Did Chemours know it was discharging GenX before it installed abatement technology?
- What systems are in place to routinely monitor discharge of GenX into the water? Did monitoring continue after the installation of the abatement technology?
- Do you have data that demonstrates reduction in the discharge of GenX since the abatement technology was installed?
- Do any permits held by Chemours allow for the discharge of GenX into the river?
- Is Chemours currently discharging GenX into the river?
- What other materials are being discharged into the river? Are all items regulated?
- Is there a cumulative measure of how much GenX was discharged into the river before abatement technology and since?
- Does DuPont and/or Chemours have health and safety data on GenX and any potential health risks to the drinking water supply at different levels of concentration?
- Describe the toxicology of the impact to the body.
- Does Chemours or DuPont know of any certainty or method to filter or otherwise remove GenX from the water supplies?
- What is Chemours doing right now today and in the future to stop any GenX discharge?
- What are Chemours and DuPont doing to advance clean-up of GenX in the water supply as of now?
- Has DuPont and/or Chemours received any type of notification from any regulatory body involving the discharge of GenX? If so, what are the details of this/these notification(s)?
- Have any local governments made DuPont and/or Chemours aware of their concerns regarding the discharge of GenX? If so, which local governments?
EPA Drinking Water Information
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets standards for drinking water quality and regulates drinking water safety. Below are two helpful links with information about the EPA and drinking water requirements and safety:
Surrounding Counties and Organizations
Pender County is working with Brunswick County, New Hanover County, the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority and the City of Wilmington to address this issue. Please click the links below for updates from their websites.