About 30 people protested outside the Chemours chemical plant near Fayetteville.

GRAYS CREEK — About 30 people protested for clean water Saturday at the entrance to the Chemours chemical plant on the Cumberland-Bladen county line.

The participants included people from Cumberland County, Bladen County and Wilmington. They gathered as ongoing controversy surrounding the plant is well into its third year.

Best of the Week: A roundup of our best work and most popular stories of the week. The plant for years (and not in violation of environmental regulations) emitted PFAS “forever chemicals” into the air and the Cape Fear River. Specifically, one called GenX that is made here.

The chemicals are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and are used to make many everyday consumer and industrial products, such as nonstick cookware and lubricants. They are called “forever chemicals” because they don’t readily break down. Research in recent years has led to suspicions the PFAS chemicals are carcinogenic.

The GenX chemical contamination became public in summer 2017 when The StarNews in Wilmington reported the chemical had been found in Wilmington’s drinking water. Wilmington gets its water from the Cape Fear River.

The chemical later was found in the drinking water wells of homes and other properties near the plant.

So the Chemours Co. has taken steps to abate its air and water PFAS emissions. This in part has been driven by a court order it agreed to in a lawsuit with the state over the contamination.

The company in December brought online a newly-built $100 million thermal oxidizer. This heats the plants’ waste gases to more than 2,000 degrees so the PFAS can be extracted and disposed of safely.

Chemours has said it halted its intentional discharges into the Cape Fear River. However, it appears the chemical still is getting into the water from the soil in the Chemours property, so the company has made a proposal to the state on how it will control this.

The proposal still is under review.

The company on Saturday issued a statement in response to the protest.

“Community groups have helped raise awareness of PFAS, and we respect their right to peacefully protest,” it says. “Chemours’ definitive actions have significantly reduced PFAS emissions, and we remain committed to moving forward and continuing emissions control progress at our Fayetteville site.”

Chemours has been providing bottled water and filter systems to nearby residents whose wells have a certain amount of PFAs or more. Protester Carrie Adkins said her home gets 15 gallons of bottled water per week.

Sarah Kirkland said she and her 7-year-old son, Jake, have a filtration system under their kitchen and bathroom sinks to filter GenX out of their well water.

Kirkland does not consider herself to be an environmentalist, she said. But now that her home is affected, she and Jake stood on the side of N.C. 87 on a chilly and windy Saturday to hold up protest signs and a protest flag to passing motorists.

The protesters included Frances Jackson of Hope Mills, who is the Democratic candidate this year for state House District 45, and Bev Pone, wife of Cumberland County Chief District Court Judge Ed Pone. The Pone’s live in southern Cumberland County.

Bev Pone said the church she attends, Willis Creek AME Zion Church, is near the plant.

“They said that we are within the limits when they tested our well, but — you know — we have our doubts,” she said.

Many in the congregation drink bottled water at church, she said.

Jackson said she has cousins who live close to the plant and who are using bottled water instead of their well water. She said if elected to serve in the state legislature, “I want to be able to go up there and make some regulations and get some things in place, make sure that we have the staff that can evaluate the water quality.”

House District 45 includes Gray’s Creek.

Jackson is running against Republican Rep. John Szoka. Szoka has sought and voted for legislation to monitor the pollution and find solutions to the situation.

Szoka and Democratic state Sen. Kirk deViere recently told The Fayetteville Observer they are working together to continue to help the people in the community. They have scheduled a community forum on PFAS and GenX for 6 p.m. March 26 at Gray’s Creek High School.

The meeting itinerary includes a presentation of new research on PFAS contamination and how to remove it from water and a chance for the public to bring questions to the researchers.

Staff writer Paul Woolverton can be reached at pwoolverton@fayobserver.com and 910-486-3512.