The PFAS manufacturer Chemours gave thousands last fall to campaigns for state legislature. Now they want the legislators whose campaigns they bankrolled to shield them from millions in liability for their pollution.
For decades, Chemours has knowingly released PFAS — toxic, cancer-causing chemicals — into the drinking water of hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians. Despite being fully aware of the dangers, they have refused to pay to clean up their mess. Instead, they rake in billions in profits while forcing families across our state to shoulder the burden — through higher utility bills, mounting medical costs, and threats to their health and future.
PFAS Polluter Buys Legislators
State campaign finance records show that Chemours LLC gave $10,000 to the NC Republican House Campaign Committee, while its associated Chemours PAC gave $6,500 to individual legislators’ campaigns, including House Speaker Destin Hall ($2,500) and House Majority Leader Brenden Jones ($1,000).
$16,500 may sound like pocket change compared to donations totals from lobbying behemoths like the developers lobby or Duke Energy. However, the modest total sum seeks to influence leaders to destroy bills aimed at addressing PFAS pollution.
Legislation introduced in the 2025 General Assembly session, such as HB 569 “PFAS Pollution and Polluter Liability” could solidify Chemours’ legal liability for their pollution. And to Chemours, the stakes are high. In one PFAS contamination hot spot, Fayetteville’s Public Works Commission (PWC) is building a $111 million system to filter PFAS out of its drinking water. To pay for the system, the PWC had to increase its water and sewer rates to customers by almost 11%.
Passing the Cost Onto Hardworking Families
“(Chemours and DuPont) knew the risks and had the technology but didn’t act until the state stepped in, and now they want lawmakers to shield them from paying for the damage,” said Dana Sargent, executive director of Cape Fear River Watch. “These are companies making billions, and yet families are stuck footing the bill to clean up chemicals they never asked for in their water.”
Drinking water utilities which draw water from the Cape Fear River Basin sources contaminated by PFAS are suing Chemours and DuPont for damages including the hundreds of millions of dollars some have had to spend to filter out the pollution. The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) is representing the Cape Fear River Watch and other groups in a request to join that action against Chemours and DuPont. SELC says that the companies are still fighting to hide the details of pollution from their Fayetteville Works plant, which impacted drinking water in at least eight counties. We work to counter the influence of contributions like those from the PFAS manufacturers, and to hold accountable both the polluters and the politicians who do their bidding.
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