North Carolina Nets $590M Settlement from DuPont over PFAS Pollution
DuPont and Chemours agreed to pay $590 million over PFAS contamination claims in North Carolina.
Why it matters: This landmark $590M settlement underscores growing corporate accountability for environmental harms, crucial for legal teams tracking toxic tort and mass litigation developments involving PFAS liabilities.
- Settlement totals $590 million, including $455 million to state and local governments and $135 million for cleanup reserves.
- Payments to state and 11 local governments will be made over 10 to 15 years, with $75 million to North Carolina and $380 million among localities.
- Chemours already spent nearly $1.2 billion under a 2019 consent order to address contamination from its Fayetteville Works facility.
- Settlement is 20 times larger than the EPA's recent $90 million PFAS deal with Chemours, marking a major enforcement milestone.
On September 10, 2026, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced a historic $590 million settlement with DuPont and Chemours to resolve claims over decades of PFAS contamination impacting the state's water and environment. These so-called "forever chemicals" have been linked to health and environmental risks, with contamination traced to the Fayetteville Works facility operated by DuPont and later Chemours.
The settlement includes $455 million in payments to the state and 11 local governments, including counties like Bladen, Brunswick, and Cumberland, and towns such as Lumberton and Wrightsville Beach. This amount will be disbursed over the next 10 to 15 years, with $75 million allocated to the state and $380 million spread among local governments. Additionally, a $135 million reserve fund will support ongoing and future cleanup efforts.
Attorney General Jackson emphasized the importance of accountability, stating, "The lawsuit was about accountability. The settlement provides resources. The work ahead is about solutions." Chemours has previously spent almost $1.2 billion complying with a 2019 consent order to halt PFAS emissions at Fayetteville Works and has sampled roughly 27,500 wells, offering clean water to around 10,500 families affected by contamination.
This settlement dwarfs the EPA's recent $90 million enforcement action against Chemours, which did not include funding for North Carolina's governments. The scale of this deal reflects increasing pressure on corporations to remediate environmental damage and compensate impacted communities.
For more on the settlement details and regional impact, see the WUNC coverage and statements from North Carolina's Attorney General Jeff Jackson.
By the numbers:
- $590 million — total settlement amount
- $455 million — payments allocated to North Carolina and 11 local governments
- $135 million — reserve fund for future PFAS cleanup efforts
What's next: Further lawsuits are anticipated as investigations into PFAS contamination continue across North Carolina.