WECT INVESTIGATES INSIDER: Chemours, data centers and PFAS
Chemours, a company with a history of PFAS contamination in North Carolina, is now developing a PFAS-based refrigerant for data center cooling. This development comes as several communities in southeastern North Carolina are debating or enacting moratoriums on data center construction due to concerns about their environmental impact and resource use. The EPA is currently reviewing Chemours' new chemical, Opteon 2P50.
WECT Investigative Reporter Connor Smith discussed his report on Chemours' entry into the data center industry with Jon Evans. The move by Chemours, a company known for PFAS contamination from its Fayetteville Works plant in Bladen County, involves developing Opteon, a PFAS-based refrigerant designed to cool data center servers and reduce energy and water consumption.
This development occurs amidst ongoing debates among officials in southeastern North Carolina regarding the future of data center facilities. While data centers offer economic benefits and tax revenue, they also consume significant amounts of electricity and water. Environmental advocates express concerns about potential hazards from Chemours' new chemical, including the release of short-chain PFAS during manufacturing and disposal, despite the company stating it will not be produced at the Fayetteville Works plant. The EPA is currently reviewing Opteon 2P50, which is not yet commercially available in the U.S.
In response to these concerns, Commissioner LeAnn Pierce is advocating for a data center moratorium in New Hanover County, requesting the item be added to a September 21 agenda. This follows similar actions by other local governments, with Boiling Spring Lakes commissioners having approved a 12-month data center moratorium earlier this summer, and Whiteville leaders enacting one recently. Officials in Leland, Shallotte, and Southport have also previously engaged in discussions about data centers.