For Immediate Release
Contact: Jeff Tittel, NJ Sierra Club, 609-558-9100
Solvay Specialty Polymers has filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of Gloucester County accusing nearby Paulsboro Refining Company of being the source of water pollution in the area. Solvay has paid $3.5 million over a decade to clean up polyfluoroalkyl (“PFAS”), perfluorononanoic acid (“PFNA”), perfluorooctanoic acid (“PFOA”), and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (“PFOS”) chemicals found in the Paulsboro area. Solvay used PFNA substances as part of its manufacturing process for years.
“Solvay is trying to shift the blame away from them by suing a nearby refinery in Paulsboro. They don’t want to be responsible for cleaning up the pollution and taking responsibility for their actions. Solvay used PFNA chemicals for years at their plant in West Deptford. It is shameful that Solvay is trying to worm their way out of cleaning up the contamination in Paulsboro,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “West Deptford has some of the highest levels of PFNAs in the world. The chemicals have been found in municipal water systems above DEP standards at least 11 times that were tied to Solvay. They can’t hide from what they’ve done.”
West Deptford, where the Solvay plant used PFNA, is home to some of the highest levels of PFNA contamination in the world. Recent testing around New Jersey have found PFNA above the new standard 13 times in municipal water systems, according to NJDEP. Of those, 11 occurrences have been tied to the Solvay pollution. In March 2019, the DEP and Attorney General identified Solvay as one of five companies responsible the extensive contamination, directing them to fund millions of dollars in assessment and cleanup efforts.
“It is outrageous that Solvay is trying to share the blame or get out of paying for what they did. They knew about the contamination around their plant for years without telling locals. They have been sued by residents of West Deptford for contaminating privately-owned wells. In 2019, the DEP and Attorney General directed Solvay to fund millions of dollars to clean up their contamination. These chemicals have been proven to cause development defects in children and pregnant women, liver and kidney problems, and even tumors,” said Jeff Tittel. “Even while they are cleaning up the contamination in Paulsboro, they are using a new chemical compound as a replacement for PFAS. ClPFPECAs have been found near the Solvay plant and are thought to be replacement chemicals for PFAS.”
The Delaware Riverkeeper Network, New Jersey Sierra Club and others have sent two letters to DEP regarding a recent Science study and the use of PFAS replacement chemicals at the Solvay plant. The study mentioned, published in Science and led by an EPA research chemist, found a recently identified group of chemical compounds, called chloro-perfluoro-polyether-carboxylate compounds (ClPFPECAs), in soil samples taken across New Jersey. ClPFPECAs were specifically found in the area surrounding the Solvay plant.
“There needs to be a full investigation into the new chemicals that Solvay is using. DEP also must make sure that Solvay is still responsible for cleaning up the PFNA contamination in West Deptford and Paulsboro. It is too important to public health. We also need the Drinking Water Quality Institute to be meeting regularly so that we can regulate new replacement chemicals for PFAS, like the ones Solvay is using. There are 500 chemicals that DWQI hasn’t even had a chance to look at to set standards, like perchlorates, ClPFPECAs, PFAS, TCE and PCE. DEP needs to allow the DWQI to meet more regularly so that more drinking water standards can be set or amended. We can’t afford to wait another two years,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “We need the strictest standards for these dangerous materials and we need them to be as strong as possible based on strict science. The longer they wait, the more people are put in danger.”