ACTION ALERT
PUBLIC HEARING AND COMMENT PERIOD ON NC PFAS AND 1,4 DIOXANE
MONITORING AND MINIMIZATION RULES
The North Carolina Environmental Management Commission (EMC) will hold a series of public hearings on the state PFAS and 1,4 Dioxane Monitoring and Minimization Rules in April 2026. The Sandhills region hearing is on Tuesday, April 14 at 6 pm at the Tony Rand Student Center, Fayetteville Technical Community College in Fayetteville. The public is invited to provide oral comments at the hearing. The Fayetteville hearing will focus on 1,4 dioxane. Participants should focus their comments on 1,4 dioxane, but they can address both PFAS and 1,4 dioxane by submitting written comments with the note “I request that this comment be included in the public record for both the proposed 1,4 dioxane and PFAS rules.” Comments should last no longer than three minutes.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
The EMC plans to adopt a set of rules that will turn a blind eye to polluters and contaminants in our waterways — contaminants that can cause irreparable harm to our natural environment, water, fish, wildlife and health. The rules will NOT require these polluters to reduce and mitigate their discharges of these chemicals. Instead, they will require industries to conduct minimal tests and develop weak plans for handling pollutants. There are neither penalties for industries that fail to reduce pollution nor consequences for industries that increase their pollution. These feckless rules could lead to increased water contamination, reduced water quality and degraded public health across the entire state of North Carolina.
WHAT SHOULD THE EMC DO?
Tell the EMC to pursue health-based rules for discharges of PFAS and 1,4 dioxane. Tell the EMC to protect the health of our natural resources and the health of all North Carolinians.
Can’t attend the public hearing? Submit written comments to the EMC by June 15, 2026 by emailing
publiccomments@deq.nc.gov.
WHAT ARE PFAS?
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of man-made chemicals that are used in thousands of consumer and industrial products, from firefighting foam to cosmetics and from cookware to microwaveable popcorn. There are thousands of PFAS including PFOS, PFOA and GenX, which is a compound patented by Chemours.
DuPont, 3M and other chemical companies invented these compounds in the 1950s. They were touted as “miracle” products — until scientists discovered their concerning impacts on our environment and our health.
WHY ARE PFAS A CONCERN?
PFAS are often called “forever chemicals” because they persist in the environment and the body for decades. Researchers have detected PFAS in humans, animals, fish and plants all over the world. PFAS are present in the water, air and soil. These compounds contribute to a myriad of health concerns including thyroid diseases, suppressed immune system responses, hormone disruptions, physical and developmental delays in children and even some forms of cancer. Research on PFAS is still emerging and will continue to emerge for years to come. These studies and outreach efforts are vital to fully understand the impacts of PFAS on our natural world and our health.
In 2017, PFAS became a major environmental and public health issue in the upper Piedmont, Sandhills and southeastern coastal regions of NC when the Chemours Fayetteville Works plant released them into the Cape Fear River. Scientists have discovered PFAS in the groundwater, surface water and potable water sources of the Cape Fear River Basin. Residents throughout the Cape Fear River Basin from Pittsboro to Wilmington have been affected by the presence of fluorinated contaminants in their water.
Chemours is not the only source of PFAS pollution in the Cape Fear River Basin. Wastewater treatment plants along the river and industries such as Lear Corporation and DAK Americas are also at fault.
HOW ARE SCIENTISTS RESEARCHING PFAS?
Scientists across the country are studying the impacts of PFAS on our environment and our health. The NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), NC State University and many other agencies have conducted water, blood and dust field studies.
Sustainable Sandhills has partnered with other non-profit organizations such as Cape Fear River Watch and Haw River Assembly, the NC PFAS Testing Network and numerous community advocacy groups, researchers and educational institutions such as East Carolina University on NC State University’s Center for Human Health and the Environment’s GenX Exposure Study. We are working with these partners to conduct field research studies and convey their results, engage with impacted communities and provide accurate information on PFAS pollution mitigation, remediation and prevention projects.
According to current research, PFAS is most concerning when it is consumed, ingested or inhaled. PFAS, however, is not easily absorbed through the skin.
Learn more about the NC State University GenX Exposure Study HERE.
WHAT IS THE GOVERNMENT DOING TO REGULATE PFAS?
In 2019, NC DEQ issued a consent order, forcing Chemours to mitigate the effects of the pollution and prevent future harm to the waters of the Cape Fear River. The consent order required Chemours to construct barriers on the Cape Fear River to prevent the discharge of PFAS into the water; to install a thermal oxidizer to prevent the release of PFAS into the air; and to provide water filtration systems to residents with private wells impacted by pollution. Chemours has consistently violated the consent order.
Read the consent order HERE.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for six common types of PFAS in 2024.
• Four parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOS and PFOA •
• Ten ppt for GenX (a chemical patented by Chemours), PFNA and PFHxS •
The rule also regulates GenX chemicals, PFNA, PFHxS and/or PFBS using a Hazard Index calculation to determine if combined levels of these PFAS pose a threat to human health.
Aside from establishing MCLs for PFAS contamination, the EPA has considered establishing Effluent Limitations Guidelines under the Clean Water Act to limit PFAS discharges from industrial sources.
The State of NC is upholding Federal regulations and currently developing its own regulations, which are likely to be more stringent. The State has proposed drinking water and industrial discharge standards that will hopefully prevent PFAS from entering our waterways and protect our health.
Here are the problems. There are thousands of PFAS and PFAS related chemicals. Only six of these substances are regulated in any way at the Federal level. Most municipal water systems cannot filter these chemicals, so utilities must install new treatment systems that cost billions of dollars to comply with Federal MCLs for PFAS. The current Federal administration is considering a reduction of industrial regulations and MCL standards, too.
Sustainable Sandhills urges you to contact your legislators and tell them to support bills that protect our waterways from dangerous pollutants.
IS THERE PFAS IN MY DRINKING WATER?
If you live in the Cape Fear River Basin and your well or municipal water source is the Cape Fear River or its tributaries, there may be PFAS in your water. Most samples of ground and surface waters in our region have detected at least one type of PFAS in both private wells and public water sources. Some of those levels unfortunately meet or exceed the Federal Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for PFAS.
Municipal utility providers distributing water that exceeds the Federal MCL threshold have to comply with the regulation by 2029. Some utilities including Fayetteville Public Works Commission have or are in the process of upgrading or replacing water treatment systems to handle emerging contaminants.
If you have municipal water service, you can contact your local utility provider for information about PFAS contamination.
You can also see the results of water sampling for PFAS in THIS MAP by the NC PFAS Testing Network or THIS MAP by NC DEQ.
If you have a private well, you may qualify for free testing and evaluation. Chemours has recently expanded testing service in the Sandhills area.
Learn more about Chemours’ Residential Water Sampling Program HERE.
You can also test your water through a certified lab. You may qualify for free testing and the PFAS Treatment Assistance Program through the NC DEQ.
Learn more about NC DEQ programs HERE.
MY WATER CONTAINS PFAS. WHAT CAN I DO TO MITIGATE IT?
Water filtration systems are somewhat effective at removing PFAS from drinking water. Reverse osmosis (RO) and Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filters are most effective. Choose a filter with NSF/ANSI 53 or NSF/ANSI 58 certification. Proper filter maintenance is also crucial for the filter’s efficacy.
The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) has a directory of certified filters HERE.
The Water Quality Association has a directory of certified filters HERE.
SO IF THERE’S PFAS IN MY WATER, I SHOULD DRINK BOTTLED WATER, RIGHT?
Wrong. Most bottled water is sourced from municipal water supplies. There are currently no Federal Food and Drug Administration regulations regarding acceptable levels of PFAS in bottled water. So bottled water may contain PFAS and other chemicals at levels that exceed Federal MCLs.
Bottled water is not necessarily healthier than filtered tap water. And it creates plastic waste, which contributes to the pollution of our waterways.
MORE RESOURCES
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