Southeast PFAS: Chemical Manufacturing Meets Vulnerable Aquifers
The US Southeast presents a distinctive PFAS contamination geography shaped by the intersection of major chemical manufacturing (North Carolina’s fluorochemical corridor), dense military aviation presence (South Carolina, Georgia, Florida), and highly vulnerable hydrogeological systems (Florida’s porous limestone Biscayne and Floridan aquifers that provide drinking water to millions). The Southeast’s PFAS story includes some of the nation’s most high-profile contamination cases—GenX in the Cape Fear River, AFFF at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, and Department of Defense contamination of Florida groundwater adjacent to aviation installations—and some of the most economically significant water quality challenges in any US region.
North Carolina: The Cape Fear River GenX Crisis
North Carolina’s Cape Fear River watershed—serving Wilmington and adjacent communities (250,000 residents)—was contaminated by GenX chemicals (HFPO-DA) discharged from Chemours’ Fayetteville Works facility over decades. The contamination was discovered through academic research in 2017, revealing that Chemours had received state discharge permits for HFPO-DA without EPA having assessed the compound’s toxicity—exploiting a regulatory gap in the PFAS transition from C8 to replacement chemistries. The GenX crisis triggered: Chemours consent order and $200M+ remediation program; North Carolina DEQ’s PFAS statewide water testing program (over 2,000 public water systems); accelerated GenX MCL development that culminated in inclusion in EPA’s 2024 NPDWR; and North Carolina legislation requiring PFAS monitoring across all state water utilities. The Cape Fear crisis established GenX and replacement PFAS regulation as national policy priorities.
South Carolina and Georgia: Military Concentration
South Carolina and Georgia host a concentration of military installations with significant AFFF contamination: Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point have groundwater plumes extending beyond base boundaries into adjacent communities. The US District Court in South Carolina consolidated the AFFF MDL (MDL 2873) with Beaufort as a significant plaintiff—reflecting the severity of local contamination. Georgia’s Robins Air Force Base and Hunter Army Airfield have PFAS plumes documented in Bibb and Chatham County groundwater. South Carolina’s DHEC has established PFAS monitoring requirements for public water systems and has been among the more active southeastern state agencies in requiring PFAS assessment. The MDL 2873 settlement distributions—flowing through the South Carolina federal court—have significantly benefited southeastern utility plaintiffs in financing treatment infrastructure.
Florida: Karst Aquifers and PFAS Vulnerability
Florida’s reliance on porous karst limestone aquifers—particularly the Biscayne Aquifer serving Miami and the Floridan Aquifer serving much of central and northern Florida—creates extraordinary PFAS vulnerability. Karst aquifers have rapid recharge rates (days to weeks vs. years for conventional aquifers) and minimal natural filtration capacity, allowing PFAS from surface sources to rapidly reach drinking water supplies. PFAS from military bases (Tyndall AFB, MacDill AFB, Elgin AFB), airports, and industrial activities in Florida have been detected in Floridan Aquifer monitoring wells adjacent to contamination sources. Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department—serving 2.4 million customers—has installed advanced PFAS treatment at its Hialeah water treatment plant following PFAS detections in Biscayne Aquifer supply wells. Florida DEP has established PFAS compliance programs and is among the most proactive southeastern states in implementing EPA NPDWR requirements.
The Southeast’s PFAS situation—combining chemical manufacturing legacies, military contamination, and hydrogeologically vulnerable water supplies—creates a region-specific PFAS challenge that will require sustained investment in water treatment infrastructure and filtration solutions for the foreseeable future.