On September 10, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Secretary Reid Wilson and Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced a $590M settlement with DuPont/Chemours in the state’s largest ever environmental damages recovery. According to DEQ’s press release, the agreement secures Chemours’ pledge to provide clean drinking water and repair the damage done to southeastern North Carolina through PFAS contamination. In all, state and local governments have recovered nearly $2 billion for North Carolina and its residents.
The agreement establishes a $135M reserve fund from DuPont and sister company Corteva to guarantee over time the work that Chemours must complete under a 2019 DEQ consent order. This reserve fund is available for the state to ensure that the consent order requirement for Chemours to provide clean drinking water to affected families is fulfilled, even if Chemours loses the ability to pay for these obligations.
While this case was ongoing, ECOS reported on a federal multistate settlement with Chemours.
