DuPont, Chemours and Corteva Agree to $455 Million PFAS Settlement in North Carolina

On September 10, 2026, DuPont, Chemours and Corteva agreed to pay a combined $455 million over 15 years to resolve PFAS, or "forever chemicals," claims in North Carolina. The settlement covers litigation brought by the State of North Carolina and 11 local entities, including Cumberland, New Hanover and Brunswick counties, the City of Lumberton and the Lower Cape Fear Water and Sewer Authority, over historical discharges from Chemours' Fayetteville Works plant and separate statewide claims tied to aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF).

Payments begin within 30 days of the agreement's execution. Under a cost-sharing arrangement the three companies set in 2021, Chemours covers 50% of the total, roughly $180 million on a net-present-value basis, with about $50 million due over the next 12 months, while DuPont and Corteva split the remaining half. The deal also resolves claims from the 11 local governments that had been excluded from a 2024 nationwide public water system class settlement, and follows a separate PFAS settlement the same three companies reached in New Jersey last year.

About $18 million of the North Carolina total addresses PFAS contamination unrelated to the Fayetteville Works site, tied to AFFF use elsewhere in the state. The agreement also satisfies the companies' remaining obligations tied to a 2019 consent order with North Carolina regulators, including a $50 million Chemours escrow payment that had been due this month.

The settlement removes a source of legal overhang for all three companies without materially moving their shares on the day: Chemours traded near $15.37 (+2.2%), DuPont near $127.89 (roughly flat) and Corteva near $85.57 (+1.0%). Resolving a portion of North Carolina's PFAS litigation could reduce near-term legal costs and free up capital for other uses, though the companies still face PFAS-related claims in other states and jurisdictions, and the pace of any further settlements remains uncertain.