Louisville Water Co. says a recent spike in PFAS contamination in the Ohio River may be tied to illegal discharges from a Chemours plant in West Virginia that has a long history of pollution violations.
Morgan Watkins reports for Louisville Public Media.
In short:
- Chemours’ Washington Works facility in West Virginia has discharged higher-than-allowed levels of PFAS into the Ohio River since 2019, violating its pollution permit.
- The Louisville Water Co. traced a December 2024 spike in PFAS levels at its intake to the upstream plant, though Chemours disputes the link and claims it is cooperating with regulators.
- A federal court is weighing a request to force Chemours to immediately comply with pollution limits; the judge moved the full trial to fall 2025, citing public health concerns.
Key quote:
“ ... in the 1980s, the company discovered that chemical was leaching into the ground underneath the plant, and it was also seeping into the drinking water sources in those surrounding communities.”
— Sarah Elbeshbishi, journalist, Mountain State Spotlight
Why this matters:
The Ohio River supplies water to more than five million people, and pollution from upstream factories like Chemours’ Washington Works facility can travel hundreds of miles downstream. Louisville’s water utility flagged an alarming uptick in PFAS levels late last year, a reminder of how legacy polluters continue to affect communities far from the source. Even though some of the older PFAS compounds, like PFOA, are now restricted, newer versions may carry similar risks, and regulation often lags behind emerging science.
Learn more: PFAS discharges from Chemours’ West Virginia plant persist despite federal oversight
