State attorneys say DuPont spin-offs should be liable for PFAS contamination

September 20, 2022

Read the full article by Bradley George (North Carolina Public Radio)

"The North Carolina Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in a case involving PFAS contamination. At issue is whether the state can sue holding companies created by DuPont, which once operated a plant in Fayetteville that's responsible for dumping chemicals into the Cape Fear River.

In 2015, DuPont spun off the plant's operation to a new company, Chemours. DuPont later merged with Dow Chemical and created two more spin-offs. The Attorney General's office says the twin companies only exist on paper, and it has the right to sue them over PFAS contamination.

"This was a corporate restructuring, where the same company was broken down into component parts, and is now saying, 'we didn't even exist at the time that these liabilities arose,'" state Department of Justice attorney Ryan Park told the court."

Location:

• North AmericaUSNorth Carolina
• North AmericaUSSouth Carolina

Topics:

• ChemicalsPFAS
• SourcesManufacturing facilities
• SourcesDuPont/Chemours
• Environment
• Wildlife
• ImpactDrinking water
• ImpactDrinking waterPrivate wells
• ImpactAgriculture
• Affected community
• Health
• Monitoring Data
• PFAS Uses