Concerns over forever chemicals continue along Ohio River

WCHS
Bob Aaron
June 30th 2025

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WOOD COUNTY, W.Va. (WCHS) — So-called forever chemicals are continuing to raise concerns about the safety of drinking water in the region.

The wells serving the 12,000 customers of the Little Hocking Water Association have more forever chemicals than any other municipal water system.

About 1,300 feet across the Ohio River from the Chemours plant in Wood County, West Virginia, Little Hocking, as of today, believes it can treat that water, but the water operator had no treatment back in 1951 when the former DuPont plant nearby started dealing with PFAS chemicals.

It’s older users were exposed to chemicals linked to some cancers and other medical issues, and questions exist about the cumulative impacts of those and future releases.

“There’s not enough lawyers using these federal environmental laws prophylactically to prevent death and injury,” David Altman, an attorney for the Little Hocking Water Association, said.

The utility’s lawyer said it’s important to know what may be ahead as GenX chemicals — forever chemicals also — replace the older PFAS chemicals that turned West Virginia’s Ohio Valley into ground zero for forever chemical issues.

The chemicals are not just limited to the Ohio River. That said, it’s still important as about 5 million people count on the Ohio River for their drinking water.

Chemours officials fighting efforts by the West Virginia Rivers Coalition for injunctive relief after Chemours exceeded permitted forever chemical discharge limits warned immediately meeting those standards might force the plant to close and 500 workers to lose their jobs along with others at plants that do business with the Washington works.

“The first defense to all the new federal environmental laws of many decades ago is what we call ‘job blackmail,’” Altman said. “That people said all the jobs are going to disappear. Everybody is going to close down if we enforce these environmental laws. Of course, that not only didn’t happen, an entire industry grew up to help companies do better.”

West Virginia’s biggest water provider – West Virginia American Water – said it has “extensive experience in designing and installing treatment for groundwater and surface water, including treatment for PFAS that allows us to meet all standards. Our company has already gained significant experience from complying with individual state PFAS requirements” and has been doing so for quite some time.

It said “the recently-announced plan by the EPA to extend the timeline for compliance would not impact American Water’s PFAS compliance or capital plan.” It contends the company is committed to complying with the standards in a timely manner. West Virginia American notes the size of the problem.

The company points out that “installation of new drinking water treatment for PFAS will reduce PFAS exposure from drinking water for 35 million Americans, roughly half of the EPA’s initial estimate.”

Not a cheap date looking across the country. That means more than 7,000 entry points will need capital improvement investments to install treatment of PFAS in drinking water, totaling $37.1 to $48.3 billion in the next five years.

According to West Virginia American Water, combined with costs of operations and maintenance, the annualized cost is estimated to be $2.7 to $3.5 billion, roughly twice the EPA’s estimate.

Industry seems to think it can self-monitor, but some are not so sure.

“Very concerned about a company that’s been in violation for seven years wanting three more years to stop violating,” Altman said. “If that sounds absurd, it’s probably because it is.”

A court case is ongoing in federal court in Charleston over forever chemical discharges into the Ohio River.