Chemours Settlement Summary - June 2026
On June 24, 2026, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection announced the first comprehensive federal settlement with a major PFAS manufacturer, Chemours. EPA alleges that Chemours released PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) into the Cape Fear River (North Carolina), the Delaware River (New Jersey), and the Ohio River (West Virginia)—in some cases without required permits, and in other cases in violation of those permits. The $450 million settlement holds Chemours responsible for the harm it has caused from its PFAS contamination and other violations of environmental laws at facilities in Chambers Works, New Jersey, Parlin, New Jersey, Fayetteville Works, North Carolina, and Washington Works, West Virginia.
The settlement will resolve the company’s liability under the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), and the West Virginia Water Pollution Control Act.
Chemours violated the CWA by
Releasing certain PFAS without a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit;
Releasing PFAS in violation of a NPDES permit; and
Failing to comply with NPDES permit conditions.
Chemours violated TSCA by
Failing to include all relevant information in its premanufacture notice;
Violating a TSCA section 5(e) order recordkeeping provisions; and
Unlawfully manufacturing and processing of PFAS outside of enclosed process.
Chemours violated RCRA by
Accepting shipments of hazardous waste in violation of its RCRA permit; and
Unauthorized storing of hazardous waste.
Under the agreement, Chemours will pay a civil penalty of $22.5 million, based on its ability to pay, and conduct a multi-year, $90 million program to mitigate PFAS discharges. Chemours will also install PFAS pollution controls for surface water discharges at its facility in West Virginia, supply clean drinking water to communities that surround its facilities in West Virginia and New Jersey, and evaluate options and implement corresponding controls to reduce releases of PFAS and other toxic chemicals from its facility in North Carolina. Combined, the cost of the penalty and injunctive relief programs are estimated to exceed $450 million.
Comment Period
The proposed consent decree, lodged in the Southern District of West Virginia is subject to a 30-day comment period and final court approval. Information on submitting comment and access to the settlement agreement is available on the Justice Department’s Proposed Consent Decree webpage.
Contact Information
Gracie Pendleton, Attorney Adviser
Water Enforcement Division
Office of Civil Enforcement
Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance
pendleton.gracie@epa.gov