Press Releases

Below is an update from Congressman Rouzer regarding his meeting with a representatives from Chemours:

Last week, I asked to meet with Chemours regarding concerns related to GenX. That meeting occurred Tuesday afternoon as soon as I landed in Washington, D.C. for this week’s votes.  During the meeting, their Washington representative and I discussed all aspects of the issue, including the concerns we all have and the initial steps the affected counties and the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority have requested the company take.

The representative from Chemours informed me of the company’s decision to stop discharging GenX into the Cape Fear River effective the very next day after our meeting, Wednesday, June 21. This is a good first step. He also informed me that they are pursuing measures to address this issue permanently.

During the meeting, I reiterated the need for Chemours to be as transparent as possible with the public. It’s absolutely critical for all parties – Chemours, the Environmental Protection Agency, Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the counties that rely on this water resource, and my office – to continue to have an open dialogue and work together for the best interests of the public.  

This week, I also received an update from the Environmental Protection Agency regarding the steps they are taking to determine whether or not GenX poses health risks to those of us who drink water from the Cape Fear River.

As of Wednesday, the EPA initiated an investigation into Chemours’ compliance with a 2009 consent order issued for the production of GenX. This investigation is focused on determining whether Chemours is in compliance with requirements of the consent order regarding  releases to the environment at the Fayetteville facility.  EPA is also reviewing additional toxicity data submitted by the company, as required under the consent order, and updating the risk assessment using the additional toxicity data specific to GenX.  At the request of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ), EPA has agreed to perform independent laboratory analysis for GenX in some of the water samples being collected by NCDEQ at 13 locations in the Cape Fear River over the next three weeks.

The state is obtaining these samples this week to be sent to a lab in Colorado especially equipped for this type of testing, which is expected to take several weeks.  

Please continue to monitor my Facebook page and website (www.rouzer.house.gov) for all information and updates regarding this issue.