West Deptford chemical manufacturing company agrees to $392.7M settlement for PFAS pollution
DEPTFORD, N.J. (CBS) – A West Deptford company has agreed to a $392.7 million proposed settlement Wednesday to clean up per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) after being accused of putting harmful forever chemicals into the environment.
The settlement is said to be the first of its kind to address PFAS contamination in New Jersey.
"Our Department of Environmental Protection is determined to hold PFAS manufacturers responsible for the havoc wrought by their forever chemicals," DEP Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette said. "This proposed settlement marks a significant milestone in New Jersey's nation-leading efforts to better protect public health and our environment from the dangers of PFAS.
For over 30 years, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said Solvay Specialty Polymers USA, LLC – which manufactures chemicals at its West Deptford, Gloucester County facility – has been discharging PFAS, causing pollution.
ALSO SEE: PFAS Chemicals Found In Third Of Water Samples In Pennsylvania
PFAS are chemicals that resist grease, oil, water and heat, according to the FDA, and are used in products including stain- and water-resistance fabrics and carpeting, cleaning products, paints and fire-fighting foams. While certain PFAS are authorized by the FDA for limited use, widespread use of PFAS is said to result in increasing levels of contamination of the air, water and soil. Exposure to some types of PFAS has also been associated with serious health effects, the FDA said.
In 2019, the DEP said it issued a statewide directive ordering Solvay, as well as other companies, to clean up their PFAS contamination. Then, in 2020, the DEP took Solvay to court in an effort to compel the company to take more swift and immediate action to clean up its pollution, the agency said.
Now, the proposed settlement agreed upon Wednesday is said to ensure the timely cleanup of PFAS and hazardous substances near the West Deptford facility, including upgrading the public water system to remove the PFAS from drinking water, as well as compensating the public for injuries to their natural resources, according to the DEP.
ALSO SEE: PA sets limit on "forever chemicals" in drinking water
"[The settlement] requires Solvay to fund critical environmental investigations, remediation activities, and natural resource restoration projects that will improve drinking water and environmental quality in the Gloucester and Camden County communities that have borne the brunt of PFAS impacts that DEP associates with Solvay," LaTourette said. "As DEP oversees the implementation of this settlement in South Jersey, we will continue to pursue other PFAS manufacturers for the widespread harm their chemicals have caused across our state."
The DEP is expected to post a formal notice of the proposed settlement agreement in the New Jersey Register on August 7, 2023, and will take public comments through October 6, 2023.
For more information about the proposed settlement, you can read more at dep.nj.org/solvay.
