Press Release

CALGON CARBON ADDRESSES INACCURACIES IN MEDIA REPORTS SURROUNDING PFAS & GenX CONTAMINATION

PITTSBURGH, PA  –  07/13/2018

Calgon Carbon Corporation issued the following statement regarding lingering misinformation surrounding the Cape Fear River Watershed and Kuraray America, Inc., another subsidiary of Kuraray Co., Ltd.

Inaccurate news articles have implied that Kuraray America’s Fayetteville facility releases GenX and other cancer-causing contaminants into the Cape Fear River Watershed. This inaccurate information persists despite news outlets retracting the misinformation, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and N.C.’s environmental agency confirming that Kuraray America, Inc. does not use or produce GenX, PFOA or other perfluorinated chemicals. Kuraray is not the subject of any litigation or enforcement action by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.

In March, Calgon Carbon Corporation became an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Kuraray Co., Ltd.,  a global specialty chemical company. The acquisition of Calgon Carbon allowed Kuraray Co., Ltd. to significantly expand its high-performance carbon materials business through complementary products and services. The combined organization will continue to focus on the highest quality activated carbon and filtration media products, equipment, and services.

Calgon Carbon is the world’s largest manufacturer of granular activated carbon, which is considered by the EPA to be the best available technology to treat water contaminated with PFAS.

“Calgon Carbon’s FILTRASORB granular activated carbon removes PFAS and other pollutants from contaminated drinking water. What’s most important to Calgon Carbon is that our customers, and those affected by contaminated drinking water, trust that our FILTRASORB granular activated carbon is the correct filtration technology for PFAS and GenX drinking water applications. We have been treating PFAS contaminated water for more than 15 years and have more systems online than anyone else,” said Jim Coccagno, Executive Vice President of the Core Carbon and Services Division.

Facts about FILTRASORB granular activated carbon for PFAS  and GenX Removal:

• FILTRASORB granular activated carbon is an engineered product capable of removing a wide variety of perfluorinated compounds, including GenX, PFOA, PFOS and short chain PFAS from drinking water.  
• Both analyses by Calgon Carbon and independent third parties have shown that FILTRASORB granular activated carbon outperforms other products available in the marketplace for PFOA, PFOS, short chain PFAS and GenX removal from drinking water.  
• The effectiveness of granular activated carbon is dependent on what is in the water, how the system containing the granular activated carbon is designed, and what type of granular activated carbon product is used.
• Testing of the Cape Fear Water shows FILTRASORB granular activated carbon to effectively remove GenX from the water using the appropriate system design.
• Calgon Carbon always recommends water testing to assist in system design and ensure the product is effective given the water quality.

About Calgon Carbon Corporation

Calgon Carbon, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kuraray Co., Ltd. (TYO: 3405) (Kuraray), is a global leader in the manufacture and/or distribution of innovative coal-, wood- and coconut-based activated carbon products – in granular, powdered, pelletized and cloth form – to meet the most challenging purification demands of customers throughout the world.  Complemented by world-class activated carbon and ultraviolet (UV) light purification and disinfection equipment systems and service capabilities, as well as diatomaceous earth and perlites, Calgon Carbon provides purification solutions for more than 700 distinct applications, including drinking water, wastewater, pollution abatement, and a variety of industrial and commercial manufacturing processes.

Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Calgon Carbon employs approximately 1,300 people and operates 20 manufacturing, reactivation, innovation and equipment fabrication facilities in the U.S., Asia, and in Europe, where Calgon Carbon is known as Chemviron.  

Calgon Carbon was acquired by Kuraray in March of 2018. With complementary products and services, the combined organization will continue to focus on providing the highest quality and most innovative activated carbon and filtration media products, equipment, and services to meet customer needs anywhere in the world. For more information, visit calgoncarbon.com