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A DuPont settlement of $65 million will support safe drinking water in southeast Ohio

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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB/Report for America) — A $65 million state settlement with DuPont can now be distributed to southeast Ohio communities for projects supporting safe drinking water. 

The Chemours facility, formerly the Dupont company’s site
The Chemours facility, formerly the Dupont company’s site, in Washington, West Virginia. [Glynis Board | Ohio Valley ReSource]
The 2023 environmental restoration settlement originates from a lawsuit filed by Gov. Mike DeWine in 2018 when he was attorney general. Ohio was the first state to sue DuPont for its use of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). 

The chemical is linked to serious human health conditions including cancers, thyroid disease, liver disease and kidney disease. 

DeWine’s lawsuit accused the company of polluting the air and Ohio River by releasing PFOA from its Washington Works facility in Parkersburg, West Virginia, despite knowing of the chemical’s dangers. 

PFOA is part of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS or “forever chemicals.” They’re manmade substances that don’t break down in the environment and can accumulate in humans. 

While Ohio’s case against DuPont settled in 2023, payment was delayed because of appeals by the company. But last week the Ohio Controlling Board approved the release of funding, which will be distributed among Belmont, Gallia, Lawrence, Meigs, Morgan and Washington counties. 

The settlement will fund projects in communities across the counties to help mitigate PFAS in local drinking water. Some will have PFAS treatment technology added to their water plants, while others will address PFAS contamination in local wells. 

“Access to safe drinking water is essential for every Ohio community,” DeWine said in the press release. “These funding awards will be used to make critical improvements to local water systems that will protect public health and strengthen drinking water infrastructure for years to come.”

Amanda Pirani is WOUB’s Report for America Journalist covering Economic Livelihood. For more information about Report for America, you can click here.