Chemours Creating a Model for the Future
WILMINGTON, DE, May 9, 2018 – The Chemours Company (Chemours) (NYSE: CC), a global chemistry company with leading market positions in titanium technologies, fluoroproducts and chemical solutions, announced today a commitment to spend over $100 million at its Fayetteville Works plant site in Fayetteville, North Carolina to make it a best-in-class facility with respect to air and wastewater emission control and a model for other chemical manufacturing facilities around the globe.
The commitment includes investing in an array of state-of-the-art emission control technology, including a thermal oxidizer and a thermolysis reactor as well as other technology that in combination is expected to result in an overall 99% reduction of air and water emissions of C3 dimer acid (also referred to as GenX) and other PFAS compounds.
The development of this plan and these long-term solutions is the result of active consultation with external experts. We also have presented the elements of our plan to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality in presentations made over the past few months, including a detailed submission we made to DEQ on Friday, April 27, 2018. We look forward to getting further input from DEQ and to answering any questions they may have.
"We are committed to taking a leadership role with respect to environmental stewardship at our facilities and being a good neighbor,” said Paul Kirsch, president of Chemours’ fluoroproducts business unit. “This means going beyond our legal and regulatory requirements to meet local community expectations now and in the future.”
This technology includes custom-designed, specialized equipment (such as the thermal oxidizer) that will take approximately 18-24 months to manufacture and install. The design-and-manufacturing process is currently underway. In the interim, Chemours is taking additional steps that will control and substantially reduce air emissions of C3 dimer acid almost immediately, with the majority being eliminated by year’s end. These measures include the installation of carbon adsorption beds in May; upgrades to a waste gas scrubber from May through October; and the continuation of the enhanced Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) program that began in January of this year.
These solutions are being undertaken on the heels of two programs Chemours has already implemented: the capture of all process wastewater generated by its Fayetteville Works operations for off-site disposal and a groundwater remediation program, which will include, upon approval by DEQ, free granular-activated-carbon treatment units to area residents whose wells have tested over 140 ppt for C3 dimer acid.
Dr. Damian Shea, Professor of Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology at North Carolina State University, recently completed a detailed analysis of the currently available data regarding GenX. Dr. Shea said, “Over a decade of scientific data has been collected regarding the safety profile of C3 dimer acid. These data, including numerous toxicology studies, provide compelling scientific evidence that the low levels of C3 dimer acid detected in the environment do not pose a risk to human health.” A copy of Dr. Shea’s paper can be found on our website below.
Fayetteville Works Plant Manager Brian Long said: “Chemours is committed to enhancing our operations in North Carolina and being a valued member of the local community. Since we first became aware of the community’s concerns, we have focused our attention not on public debate, but on finding ways to virtually eliminate air and water emissions from our operations. We believe we now have the right answer for the long-term, which is why we have started outreach efforts with the surrounding community.”
For more information about the actions Chemours is taking Fayetteville, we invite you to visit https://www.chemours.com/Fayetteville/ or contact https://www.chemours.com/contact-us/.
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About The Chemours Company
The Chemours Company (NYSE: CC) helps create a colorful, capable and cleaner world through the power of chemistry. Chemours is a global leader in titanium technologies, fluoroproducts and chemical solutions, providing its customers with solutions in a wide range of industries with market-defining products, application expertise and chemistry-based innovations. Chemours ingredients are found in plastics and coatings, refrigeration and air conditioning, mining and general industrial manufacturing. Our flagship products include prominent brands such as Teflon™, Ti-Pure™, Krytox™, Viton™, Opteon™, Freon™ and Nafion™. Chemours has approximately 7,000 employees and 26 manufacturing sites serving approximately 4,000 customers in North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Europe.
Chemours is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware and is listed on the NYSE under the symbol CC. For more information please visit chemours.com.
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