Local News

Chemours to pay $455 million for Fayetteville Works pollution

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Tuesday, 15 September 2026

Written by Lisa Sorg, Morgan Casey & Paul Woolverton, CityView Today

North Carolina and a handful of local governments agreed to settle with Chemours over its pollution in the eastern part of the state, the parties announced on Thursday.
The company will pay the state and 11 entities near its Fayetteville Works plant on the border of Cumberland and Bladen counties $455 million over the next 15 years for what the company said in a press release involved both the plant and “claims of PFAS contamination unrelated to that site.”
The state will receive $75 million of the $455 million while the local entities will share $380 million, with payment beginning this year. It’s the largest environmental damage payment in the history of North Carolina.
PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of forever chemicals found in water, soil, and homes near the plant. Exposure to the chemicals is linked to an increased risk of cancer, thyroid disease, reproductive problems and developmental delays in children, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Ten local governments were involved in the settlement: Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Cumberland, New Hanover, Robeson and Sampson counties, as well as the town of Wrightsville Beach, city of Lumberton, and village of Bald Head Island. The Lower Cape Fear Water and Sewer Authority also joined the settlement.
After the press conference, Cumberland County said it will receive $161.5 million from the settlement. Robeson County announced on social media its portion will be $22.8 million, including $2.3 million in the first year. Bald Head Island will receive $5.7 million, Mayor Peter Quinn told residents in an email.
The agreement also resolves the state’s lawsuit against Chemours, which was scheduled to be heard before the North Carolina Supreme Court this week.
North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson valued the settlement at $590 million to include the additional $135 million that DuPont, Chemours’ former parent company, has to put into a reserve fund to meet the terms of a 2019 consent order the companies have with the state. If Chemours goes bankrupt during the payment period, the state will receive the entire settlement and the reserve fund, Jackson said.
Jackson told The Assembly and Inside Climate News there was a risk of Chemours going bankrupt during litigation. The company is currently valued at $2.28 billion. It is already required to pay $875 million to New Jersey over the next 25 years. Jackson said the settlement agreement’s reserve fund ensures the state and local entities will get paid as it puts DuPont on the hook for if Chemours goes under during the payment period.
“They wouldn’t be in this position if they hadn’t massively damaged the state and then lied about it for years,” Jackson said Sept. 10 at the site of a water cleanup effort in the Gray’s Creek community in Cumberland County. The community’s private wells were contaminated by Chemours’ chemicals and the county is expanding municipal water connections to provide residents clean drinking water.
Chemours Cites ‘Substantial Investments’ Reducing PFAS
Earlier this summer, Jackson, N.C. Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson, and Gov. Josh Stein denounced an agreement between Chemours and the EPA to settle the state’s claims that the company violated federal drinking and environmental protections. That deal brings about $2 million per year to North Carolina to address water pollution, 20 times less than what the state’s settlement obtained.
“We were hoping that the EPA would take this seriously, but they failed,” Jackson said in his announcement. “They did a slap on the wrist for these companies.”
About 3.5 million North Carolinians, roughly one in every three, drink water with PFAS levels above the federal health standards, Wilson told a crowd of local government officials and members of the media gathered in Gray’s Creek.
Chemours said in its press release the state’s settlement agreement acknowledges the “substantial investments to significantly reduce PFAS emissions from Fayetteville Works and mitigate off-site impacts in the surrounding communities.” North Carolina has already forced Chemours to spend nearly $1.2 billion on clean-up efforts across the state, Wilson said, including filtration systems on private wells and treatment systems at its Fayetteville facility.
Local entities have full discretion on how to use their settlement funds, Jackson said, as many have already spent millions on addressing the forever chemicals.
In August, two elementary schools in Gray’s Creek were connected to the Fayetteville Public Works Commission water system through a $12 million project to provide safe drinking water. In March, PWC approved a $133.7 million contract to build a granular activated carbon filtration system at its two water treatment plants that serve much of Cumberland County.
Neighboring Robeson County is piloting a carbon filtration system at its Rocco Treatment Plant in St. Pauls after months of residents complaining about PFAS contamination in their water. David Edge, chair of the Robeson County Board of Commissioners, said its settlement dollars will help pay for the filtration system and other yet to be determined cleanup efforts.
“This settlement can make a difference for generations if we make responsible decisions about what comes next,” Kirk deViere, chair of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners, told the crowd. “Our work now moves from the courtroom to the community. Our commitment has not and will not change: We will protect our communities. We will pursue every resource available, and we will build, and we will not stop until our community has the clean, safe, regulated drinking water it deserves.”
The settlement agreement, which deViere said local leaders have already signed, doesn’t stop others from suing Chemours for damages. The state can also take Chemours to court if they violate the agreement, Wilson said.

UC&W Editor's Note: This article has been edited for space. To read the article in full, visit https://bit.ly/4imxW8W

Government Watch: Chemours pays out; City of Fayetteville receives grant

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Tuesday, 15 September 2026

Written by Jami McLaughlin

In the largest environmental damages recovery in NC history, state officials and local leaders announced a historic $590 million settlement with The Chemours Company and its affiliates on Thursday, Sept. 10. Standing at the construction site of the Gray's Creek Water Project, Cumberland County Board of Commissioners Chairman Kirk deViere joined State Attorney General Jeff Jackson to unveil the sweeping agreement. The resolution directly addresses years of toxic PFAS ("forever chemicals") contamination originating from the Fayetteville Works facility, which has compromised private drinking wells and regional waterways for over a decade.
Under the terms of the landmark deal, Chemours, DuPont de Nemours Inc. and Corteva Inc. will pay $455 million over the next 15 years, with payments beginning immediately this year. A significant $380 million slice of that funding will be divided directly among 11 heavily impacted local governments, including Cumberland, Bladen and New Hanover counties, to aggressively scale up municipal water infrastructure, extend safe public water pipelines and alleviate the burden on families living with contaminated taps. The state of North Carolina will receive the remaining $75 million, dedicating a vast portion to the Emerging Contaminant Mitigation Fund to bolster ongoing statewide detection and cleanup efforts.
Crucially, the settlement features an unprecedented $135 million bankruptcy insurance reserve funded by DuPont and Corteva. This financial safeguard guarantees that even if Chemours faces long-term financial insolvency or bankruptcy, the mandatory environmental cleanup, groundwater barrier walls and private well filtration programs required under the region's 2019 consent order will remain fully funded.
"Families who did nothing wrong have worried about what comes out of their tap," deViere said during the briefing, emphasizing that while the multi-year legal battle was about corporate accountability, the path forward is strictly focused on delivering clean water solutions. For more, see page 7.

Cumberland County
During the Sept. 10 agenda session, the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners received updates regarding two major projects, including the Crown Corridor Study and the Crown Theater and Arena modernization.
Board members heard Robert Van Geons, president/CEO of the Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corporation, present the Greater Crown Complex Gillespie Street (I-95 Business) Corridor.
This study aims to transform the 631-acre area surrounding the Crown Complex into a vibrant destination and includes an evaluation of 251 parcels based on ownership, occupancy and development potential. A major focus is improving pedestrian safety and traffic circulation within a vehicle-heavy environment and identifying better connections to the airport gateway. Within 30 days, the team plans to present a detailed hierarchy of redevelopment sites, specific infrastructure recommendations and potential amenity uses to attract visitors.
The board also heard from Turner & Townsend Heery, the designated owner’s representative for the modernization and renovation project. Following a 3D scan and detailed site walk-through, the team told the board that they needed to look at either renovating the existing facility with limited modernization or imagining a new facility to replace the existing buildings.
Commissioners raised concerns about previous maintenance records and the necessity of reconciling past reports with current findings. However, Jessica Killian, representing the project team, stated that work was done with the latest technology, offering a more comprehensive fresh look. She confirmed that any of the proposed solutions would result in a break in programming and activities at the Crown Theater and Arena
Coming out of closed session, the Board of Commissioners voted to close the current Crown Theater and Arena to public events to allow for continued due diligence on the future of those facilities.

City of Fayetteville
The city celebrated securing a transformational $25.1 million HUD Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant aimed at investing in housing, family services and infrastructure along the Murchison Road corridor.
This historic milestone for Fayetteville was awarded jointly to the City of Fayetteville and the Fayetteville Metropolitan Housing Authority and marks the first time an eastern North Carolina community has ever secured this prestigious grant. The federal funding will serve as an anchor catalyst, expected to leverage more than $531 million in additional public and private investments to fully execute the community-led Murchison Choice Transformation Plan.
The project will fully replace all 60 units at the 56-year-old Murchison Townhouses public housing community on a strict 1-for-1, deeply affordable basis. The city will construct 323 new mixed-income apartments spread across the Murchison Townhouses and Elliott Properties sites near Fayetteville State University. The blueprint incorporates 35 new for-sale homes alongside exterior stabilization improvements for roughly 35 existing neighborhood houses.
This historic win was more than six years in the making. Fayetteville initially secured a HUD planning grant in 2020 but narrowly missed out on the final implementation funding in 2024. Instead of giving up, city planners leveraged HUD's direct feedback, strengthened partnerships with national developer Pennrose and aligned local anchors like Cumberland County Schools. Advocacy from the region's congressional delegation, including U.S. Representative David Rouzer, ultimately helped push the application past the finish line at HUD.

About the Greater Fayetteville Chamber
Advocacy is a cornerstone of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber. Every week, the Chamber dedicates staff to attend City of Fayetteville and Cumberland County meetings as well as monitoring updates on the state and federal levels. We monitor legislation locally, statewide and federally to protect our community’s business interests. With 91% of U.S. adults recognizing a Chamber of Commerce's impact on growth, membership ensures a strong voice shaping policies, driving economic success and building a thriving business community—together. To learn more, visit www.faybiz.com or email jmclaughlin@faybiz.com.

(Photo: NC Department of Justice and Attorney General's Office Jeff Jackson, center, addresses attendees during an announcement made regarding the Chemours lawsuit. Photo courtesy of Cumberland County NC's Facebook page)

Fayetteville to hire downtown, urban development manager

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Tuesday, 08 September 2026

Written by Rachel Heimann Mercader, CityView Today

Fayetteville has begun searching for its first Downtown & Urban Development Manager, moving from months of discussion to action as the city seeks a single leader to coordinate downtown development, business support, and day‑to‑day problem solving.
Applications opened Aug. 23 and closed Friday, Sept. 4.
The move comes after months of debate over how the city should invest in its core, and years of frustration from council members who want more growth and business owners who say they struggle to get basic issues addressed.
A Push That Began with Business Complaints
The idea originated in May, when Councilmember Malik Davis told colleagues he had been meeting with downtown business owners and residents who felt the city lacked a clear point person for downtown issues.
“My request for council is to get a dedicated staff member that works for the city of Fayetteville, whose focus is downtown and downtown development, and also manages the downtown and its revitalization efforts in making our downtown stronger, knit downtown,” Davis said during the work session on May 4.
Davis noted that cities like Raleigh, Winston‑Salem, and Durham already have similar roles. As the sixth‑largest city in North Carolina, he said, Fayetteville should, too.
“I think the city has to take charge in making sure that we have been responsible for our downtown,” Davis added.
Mayor Mitch Colvin agreed, saying the city currently responds to downtown problems “per issue” without a single accountable leader.
“You really don’t have a point person in the organization that I’m aware of that answers that call,” Colvin said.
Budget Maneuvering Makes Room
During June budget talks, the downtown manager position repeatedly resurfaced as part of the council’s “parking lot list,” a set of items that could be added only if money was shifted around.
The role was budgeted at $150,000 including salary and benefits.
Councilmembers Shaun McMillan and Stephon Ferguson raised concerns about spending priorities, but the majority supported adding the position. Councilmember Derrick Thompson was among the strongest advocates.
“If we want to have a booming city, we need to have a booming downtown,” Thompson said.
Ultimately, the council chose to take more money out of its main operating fund—$8.25 million instead of $5,05 million, according to the final budget document. That freed up enough money to add the downtown manager position.
The additional funds also provided funds for downtown events ($275,000) and expanding the Drones as First Responders program ($795,000). Cuts were made elsewhere, including removing $110,000 for mental‑health unit vehicles that were part of a new initiative with the Office of Community Safety.
Fayetteville is also moving to strengthen its presence downtown by reinstating a dedicated police officer for the district—a role that had been paused due to a lack of funding. The city’s communications manager, David Scott, confirmed to CityView the position isn’t new, but rather a refilled vacancy.
The move comes as the city restored funding for eight previously frozen police officer positions in this year’s budget—a $1,095,056 allocation that expanded the department’s staffing capacity enough to bring back the downtown post.
The final budget passed June 22. The city’s 2027 strategic plan followed on Aug. 10.
Sgt. Antoine Kincade Sr. said the department has always maintained routine patrols downtown, but the dedicated assignment was temporarily halted.
“With recent increases in police staffing, we’ve been able to reinstate this dedicated role to serve as a direct point of contact for local downtown business owners and focus specifically on the unique needs and concerns of the downtown district,” he said.
According to a July 23 Facebook announcement, the department’s official name for the role is a Parks Patrol & Downtown Beat Officer. Duties will include downtown business and visitor engagement, patrols of parks and greenways, community outreach, special event coverage and general public safety.
Applicants must already have two years of experience as a sworn North Carolina law enforcement officer, and the city lists the salary range as $50,550 to $84,585, depending on experience.
What the Downtown Manager Will Do
The job description outlines a sweeping portfolio: economic development, redevelopment, placemaking, historic preservation, public‑realm maintenance, business recruitment, and coordination across nearly every city department.
According to the job posting, the manager “ensures Downtown Fayetteville remains clean, safe, welcoming, economically competitive, and attractive for residents, visitors, businesses, and investors.” The salary range is $77,122 to $98,331. The city said the selection process would last up to six weeks after the job posting closes on Friday.
Key responsibilities include:
• Downtown coordination—serving as the city’s primary liaison to businesses, property owners, developers, and partner organizations.
• Economic development—recruiting and retaining restaurants, retailers, entertainment venues, and office users.
• Capital project oversight—managing streetscape improvements, lighting, gateways, public art, pedestrian amenities, and beautification.
• Public‑realm maintenance—addressing cleanliness, graffiti, landscaping, sidewalks, lighting, parking, signage, and accessibility.
• Public safety coordination—working with police, fire, community safety, and outreach providers on quality‑of‑life issues.
A Downtown with Momentum—and Setbacks
Downtown Fayetteville has roughly 200 businesses, according to the Cool Spring Downtown District business directory, including 23 restaurants, 27 retail shops, 120 professional services, and several attractions such as the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, the History Museum, and the Gilbert Theater.
The city has made recent investments trying to help downtown, including $200,000 in the 910 Festival, $350,000 in the Black Voices Museum, and hundreds of thousands of dollars and in-kind donations to the Dogwood Festival and other local events.
Major development projects are also underway, including a hotel and apartment tower atop the Hay Street Parking Garage and a proposed 126‑room full‑service hotel on Gillespie Street, announced by Cumberland County in May.
But downtown has also suffered losses. The county’s cancellation of the $145 million Crown Event Center in June 2025 after construction started removed what many saw as a future economic anchor.
Colvin has also asked city staff to put together a feasibility study for a downtown convention center.
Business Owners: Hopeful but Wary
Some downtown business owners said the new role could help—if the city follows through.
Isabella Effon, owner of Taste of West Africa on Person Street, told CityView she’s been disappointed by past promises.
Asked whether the liaison-style role sounded helpful, she replied, “We’ll see,” adding that, when these kinds of promises are made she has been made to feel more like a “ statistic” than anything else. “ These things do not excite me anymore,” she said.
Effon said she has struggled to get results when contacting the city about certain issues, such as repairs to a sidewalk in front of her business.
“We’ve had people fall, literally fall, where the ambulance had to pick them up and clean up blood,” she said. “We’ve complained and complained. Nothing is being done.”
She also pointed to 4th Friday, the free monthly street festival run by the Cool Spring Downtown District, as an example of how her block feels overlooked. The event runs from March through October and regularly closes Hay Street for vendors, music and activities—but Person Street stays open, she said, and gets none of the same attention.
“You have street closure, so things will happen on Hay Street and everything. And you leave Person Street. There’s no street closure. We have to program it ourselves,” she said. “Meanwhile, we’re all taxpayers.”
Kelly Hathaway, who owns Greg’s Pottery on Maxwell Street, and has been in business for 21 years, said she heard about two new roles only recently and is not clear on the specifics.
Hathaway said that she rarely sees city representatives visit local stores.
“I hope that the new person actually walks around and goes into the stores and makes their face and name known,” she said.
Hathaway said she hopes the new liaison will be proactive in engaging with local businesses, addressing issues like sidewalk maintenance, making rent more affordable, and bringing new businesses to the area.

Nonpartisan voter education workshop aims to empower

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Tuesday, 08 September 2026

Written by Staff Report

Your voice has power. Your vote is your opportunity to help shape the decisions that impact your family, your community, and your future. OF COURSE YOUR VOTE MATTERS… now is the time to get informed, get prepared, and MAKE IT COUNT!
With a shared commitment to creating a greater collective impact throughout Cumberland County and communities across America, the Greater Life of Fayetteville | PIN Parent Intervention Network, in partnership with the NAACP Fayetteville NC Branch, will host the “Nonpartisan Voter Education Workshop: Your Voice. Your Vote. Your Community.” to equip community members with practical, nonpartisan information, resources, and tools that will help them better understand and navigate the voting process. Participants will be empowered to make informed decisions and participate confidently in the electoral process at the local, state, and national levels.
The event will be held Sept. 17 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Greater Life of Fayetteville, located at 600 Orange St. RSVP at GLOF-VoterEd.eventbrite.com
Guest presenter Crystal Edmonds, Fayetteville NAACP Political Action Chair, will provide valuable, nonpartisan insight into voters’ rights and responsibilities, equipping participants with accurate and accessible information, resources, and practical tools to navigate the electoral process with greater confidence, explore meaningful opportunities for civic engagement, and discover how informed participation can contribute to stronger, more engaged communities.
Topics of discussion will include:
• Voter Rights: Why every vote matters
• Voting Process & Polling: 'KNOW before you GO' to the polls
• Voter Registration & Deadlines: Understanding requirements and important dates
• Absentee Voting Options: Available ways to vote by mail
• Early Voting vs. Election Day: Differences between voting options
• Identification Requirements: What voters should know
• Civic Engagement: Ways to become more engaged in the community
• Local Election Impact: How elections affect schools, public safety, neighborhoods, and community resources
“Now more than ever, we recognize that knowledge is the foundation of meaningful civic engagement,” said Georgeanna Pinckney, Founder and CEO of Greater Life of Fayetteville. "Our goal is to ensure that community members have access to accurate information and educational resources from a nonpartisan standpoint that will empower them to make informed decisions and become better equipped to advocate for the issues that matter most."
Anyone interested in learning more about the voting process is encouraged to attend, including first-time voters, community members, faith leaders, educators, and other community stakeholders.
Greater Life of Fayetteville programs are empowered by the United Way of Cumberland County, Thegroup Theory, Covenant Love Church, The Insurance Guy, Sweet Valley Ranch, City of Fayetteville, Cumberland County, First Horizon Bank, Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks & Recreation, Friends Of African American Families Foundation, Kiwanis Club of Cape Fear, and a member of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber.
The Greater Life of Fayetteville | PIN Parent Intervention Network is a community-centered initiative that is committed to strengthening communities through education, mentoring, strategic partnerships, and impactful programs and opportunities that empower individuals to reach their full potential. Through meaningful engagement, PIN connects families with valuable information, resources, and support they need to build stronger, healthier, and actively engaged communities.
Greater Life of Fayetteville is a community-focused, nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening families, empowering youth, and creating opportunities for individuals to thrive through educational enrichment, mentorship, prevention and intervention initiatives, and community-based programming.