Trump administration settles water pollution case with ‘forever chemicals’ company for $450M

The federal government has settled a water pollution case against Chemours, which makes and uses toxic “forever chemicals.”

The Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency and state of West Virginia announced on Wednesday that Chemours would pay an estimated $450 million over pollution at its facilities in West Virginia, North Carolina, and New Jersey.

The federal government alleged that Chemours illegally released chemicals into waterways near its three facilities, impacting “the drinking water of tens of thousands of people” who live nearby. 

Chemours spun off from chemical company DuPont a decade ago as lawsuits over then-DuPont’s “forever chemicals,” also called PFAS, began to pile up. It took on the chemical giant’s PFAS business. 

PFAS is the name of a family of man-made chemicals that have nonstick and waterproof applications. Exposure to these substances has been linked to health issues including cancer, immune system problems and fertility issues.

They’re sometimes called “forever chemicals” because........

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