Lawsuit: Judge favors EPA over organizations seeking studies on 54 PFAS effects

By Port City Daily Staff | Port City Daily | April 1, 2023

Read the full article by Port City Daily Staff

"Federal Judge Richard Myers did not side with a group of nonprofits attempting to hold Chemours accountable to fund studies on the effects of PFAS on human health.

The Center for Environmental Health v. Michael Regan — in his official capacity as administrator of the EPA — was filed by Clean Cape Fear, Center for Environmental Health, Cape Fear River Watch, and others.

The organizations sued the federal agency, claiming it did not fulfill a petition submitted in October 2020 under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). They asked the EPA to require Chemours bankroll studies on 54 per- and polyfluorinated substances — identified in the air, water, wells and in the blood of local residents. The goal was to learn more about repercussions “forever chemicals” have on those impacted.

Cape Fear citizens discovered in 2017 they had been exposed to toxic PFAS, specifically GenX, from Chemours dumping chemicals into the Cape Fear River from its Fayetteville Works facility over four decades.

The results of a recent GenX study done by N.C. State University, shows individuals living in the greater Cape Fear area have higher levels of PFAS in their blood than the U.S. average."