State sues Durham chemical company over alleged water contamination
RALEIGH — North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson has filed legal action on behalf of the state Department of Environmental Quality against Brenntag Mid-South, alleging the Durham chemical company has illegally discharged contaminants into state waters.
The lawsuit, announced June 9 by DEQ, asks a court to require Brenntag to stop surface water discharges and submit a cleanup plan within 30 days. The state says the alleged contamination affects an unnamed tributary to Third Fork Creek, which flows past Burton Magnet Elementary School, through Burton Park and ultimately to Jordan Lake.
According to DEQ, the case began after the agency received an anonymous complaint in April 2025 about chemical leaks, chemical dumping and poor housekeeping practices at Brenntag’s Durham facility. The facility stores wet and dry chemicals, including petroleum-based lubricants, solvents, acids and bases.
DEQ said inspectors observed chemicals stored in drums and tanks, some of which were leaking or otherwise compromised. The agency also reported evidence of contaminated groundwater accumulating around the facility and contaminants entering the nearby tributary.
The department said water samples taken at the facility and downstream confirmed violations of surface water standards. DEQ issued Brenntag a notice of violation and directed the company to take immediate action to clean up the contamination.
According to the agency, Brenntag did not meet its deadlines, and a follow-up inspection found that water quality standards were still being violated. DEQ said the company has not provided a corrective action plan to address the contamination.
“Residents of Durham, and across this state, deserve clean water,” DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson said in the release. “It’s our job as the state environmental agency to ensure that companies are following the law, and today we take another step toward ensuring that for those living downstream of this facility.”
The complaint asks the court to require Brenntag to eliminate surface water discharge and clean up past discharge and contamination. The allegations remain pending in court.
Editor’s note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.
