Local leaders want public meeting with Chemours

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo announced Wednesday that local leaders from around the region are inviting Chemours, the company accused of discharging an unregulated toxin known as GenX into the Cape Fear River, back to New Hanover County for a public meeting.

Saffo issued the following statement:

"We are encouraged by the news that Chemours will voluntarily take action to eliminate the discharge of GenX into the Cape Fear River. However, due to the the questions and concerns raised regarding the effects of this compound, the Chairs of the Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender County Commissions and myself, as Mayor of this City, will be inviting the Company as well as representatives from the [EPA] and NC State Division of Environmental Quality here to our region to meet face to face with our citizens to address their concerns and issues and get answers to their questions."

Last week, Chemours met with local and state leaders in a closed-door meeting held at the New Hanover County Government Complex. In that meeting, it was revealed that the company had been dumping GenX into the Cape Fear River as far back as 1980.

Chemours said it has captured 80 percent of the GenX discharge from its Fayetteville plant. When asked by county officials if Chemours would bring that discharge to zero percent, company representatives said they weren't committed to do so as of yet.

Less than a week after that meeting and amid mounting pressure from local and state officials, Chemours announced Tuesday that it will take additional steps to capture and dispose of all wastewater containing GenX at its Fayetteville plant.

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