Roy Cooper fought PFAS contamination as governor
The Democratic nominee for US Senate is running on his record of battling pollution by ‘forever chemicals.’
An estimated 3.5 million North Carolinians drink tap water with chemical levels above a federal health standard that’s set to go into effect in 2029, according to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.
The chemicals are an issue in North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race between former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and Republican Michael Whatley. The state’s next senator could vote on federal environmental laws and funding for water treatment and help determine which officials lead the agencies responsible for enforcing clean water protections.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are called “forever chemicals” because they break down slowly in the environment, including in drinking water, and can build up in the bloodstream. The Environmental Protection Agency says exposure to some PFAS has been linked to cancer, developmental delays in children and other health problems.
Removing PFAS can require costly remediation measures. Without government funding or payments from those responsible for the pollution, some of those costs could fall on water utilities and their customers.
Right now, the federal government is reconsidering some of the existing regulations of PFAS. In May 2026, the EPA formally proposed rescinding drinking water limits for several types of PFAS. The agency said the earlier rule didn’t follow the proper legal process and that it might consider new limits later.
Cooper’s record as a governor shows how he might approach the issue.
When PFAS contamination in the Cape Fear River became public in 2017, when Cooper was governor, state environmental and health agencies investigated the contamination and state officials ordered the chemical company Chemours to stop its wastewater discharge. They then ordered the company to halt all releases of fluorinated compounds and began legal action to suspend its permit to discharge wastewater into the river.
The company was also ordered to pay a $12 million civil penalty and $1 million in investigative costs, provide replacement drinking water, and clean up existing pollution.
Cooper’s administration later released a statewide PFAS action strategy focused on protecting communities, protecting drinking water and cleaning up existing contamination. He also pursued state water quality standards for PFAS in groundwater and surface water. The commission adopted the ground water standards in 2025 but is still pursuing rules and standards for surface water limits.
Federal Election Commission records show Chemours’ political action committee gave Whatley’s campaign $5,000 on March 3, 2026.
Whatley’s campaign website doesn’t mention PFAS or any environmental issues.
