Chemours to Pay $450 million in Federal PFAS Settlement

The U.S. Justice Department, EPA and West Virginia environmental officials announced a multi‑state settlement with chemical maker Chemours Co. The agreement requires Chemours to pay a $22.5 million civil penalty and to fund roughly $428 million in pollution‑mitigation measures over the next 15 years, bringing the total cost to at least $450 million. Key components include $90 million for long‑term PFAS‑reduction programs, a $60 million investment in pollution‑control equipment at its West Virginia plant, and $280 million to provide clean drinking water to communities near its facilities in West Virginia and New Jersey. The settlement covers alleged illegal discharges of per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) into the Ohio, Cape Fear and Delaware rivers, violations of the Clean Water Act and the Toxic Substances Control Act.

Chemours, a spin‑off of DuPont, will be allowed to continue manufacturing PFAS for certain commercial and military applications, but under tighter compliance requirements. “The settlement protects public health while preserving that important balance,” said Adam Gustafson, principal deputy assistant attorney general for the Environment and Natural Resources Division. EPA assistant administrator Jeffrey Hall added, “This settlement delivers on the Trump administration’s promise to make polluters pay and stop PFAS contamination at the source.” The deal is the first federal enforcement settlement targeting a major PFAS producer and comes as the administration considers rolling back aspects of Biden‑era PFAS drinking‑water rules.