The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reached an agreement with a chemical company to sample for “forever chemicals” at a Wood County site.
The EPA says the Chemours Company will sample soil, surface water, sediment and groundwater for PFAS at its Washington Works site near Parkersburg.
The EPA, along with officials in Ohio and West Virginia, want to determine the extent of PFAS contamination at the site. PFAS have been produced and released there since 1951, according to the agency. The facility remains in operation.
The 1,200 acre site along the Ohio River also includes volatile organic compounds.
PFAS break down very slowly over time and have been scientifically proven to harm people and animals, the EPA says. Yet they are present in food products, water, air and soil and even in the blood of people and animals.
Products made with PFAS include firefighting foam and nonstick cookware.