Document 6beLD343VjXyb3kOpJD6ewBV1

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION 4 ATLANTA FEDERAL CENTER 61 FORSYTH STREET ATLANTA. GEORGIA 30303-8960 JUL 2 6 2017 (b) (6) (b)(6) Thank you for your June 20, 2017 email to Mr. Scott Pruitt, Administrator of the U S. Environmental Protection Agency. You requested information regarding the presence of GenX1 in the Cape Fear River. Your email was forwarded to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Region 4 office in Atlanta. Georgia for response. The EPA previously issued a Consent Order under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that allows the Chemours plant to manufacture GenX provided, among other things, that adequate controls are implemented to recover and capture (destroy) or recycle GenX from all the process wastewater effluent streams and air emissions at an overall efficiency of 99 percent. After learning about the GenX found in the Cape Fear River, the EPA conducted an inspection of the facility on June 28-29, 2017, to evaluate compliance with TSCA. The EPA is still gathering the necessary information to complete the compliance evaluation. Chemours has indicated that on June 21,201 7, it implemented additional controls to eliminate remaining wastewater emissions of the GenX chemical from the facility to the Cape Fear River. GenX is an unregulated contaminant and the EPA currently does not have health-based standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act or water quality criteria for GenX under the Clean Water Act. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) is currently evaluating the potential for health effects from exposures to GenX in the Cape Fear region and the EPA is collaborating with NC DHHS as the State performs its analyses. The Chemours facility is authorized to discharge effluent under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NC DEQ). The facility NPDES pennit, NC0003573, expired October 31, 2016 and is currently administratively continued. The EPA is providing NC DEQ regulatory technical assistance as the State determines appropriate discharge limits, monitoring and reporting requirements to include in the reissued pennit in order to protect human health and the environment. Once the State drafts the new permit, the pennit will be placed on public notice and citizens will be allowed to submit comments to the State on the pennit provisions. In an effort to assess the current levels of GenX in the Cape Fear River, NC DEQ collected surface water samples from twelve sample locations during three weekly sampling events, between June 19 July 3, 2017. The EPA partnered with NC DEQ to independently analyze these samples. For more infonnation regarding the EPA's partnership with NC DEQ for sample collection, site locations and 1 The version of GenX found in the river is the free acid form. Internet Address (URL) http://www.epa.gov Recycled/Recyclable 'Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on Recycled Pacer (Minimum 30% Postconsumer) results, please visit NC DEQ's GenX site (https://deq.nc.gov/news/hot-topics/genx-investigation/genxsampling-sites). The EPA has committed to partnering with the multiple stakeholders needed to address the presence of GenX in the Cape Fear River to protect human health and the environment. Our office would like to connect you with Mr. Chris Mackey, Communications Director of NC DHHS, who can address your drinking water-related inquiries. Mr. Mackey can be reached at (919) 855-4840 or chris.Mackey@dhhs.nc.gov. For current updates on the GenX investigation, please visit the NC DEQ's website https://deq.nc.gov/news/hot-topics/genx-invcstigation. We appreciate your desire to protect and preserve the environment and hope you find this information helpful. If we may be of further assistance, please contact Ms. Becky Allenbach at (404) 562-9687 or allenbach.becky@epa.gov. cc: Mr. Chris Mackey North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services