NC Sues Brenntag - June 9, 2026

Jun 12

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 10, 2026

Contact: Aidil Ortiz, Community Organizer - aidilortiz28@gmail.com or Anita Moore, Communications Manager at Haw River

Haw River Assembly Celebrates as NC Takes Legal Action Against Brenntag for Contaminating Waters in Durham Flowing to Jordan Lake

North Carolina Attorney General and DEQ sue Durham chemical distributor over illegal discharge into Third Fork Creek

BYNUM, N.C. -- Haw River Assembly is celebrating with communities across Durham in regards to news that the North Carolina

Attorney General's office and the Department of Environmental Quality have filed suit against Brenntag Mid-South for illegally

discharging contaminants into an unnamed tributary of Third Fork Creek, which flows through the low-income, predominantly

Black and Latino neighborhood, McDougald Terrace, Burton Park and Burton McDougald Elementary School, before it flows

downstream to Third Fork Creek and then on to Jordan Lake, drinking water supply for more than one million people downstream.

The complaint, filed June 9, 2026, states that Brenntag's Durham facility has been discharging methylene chloride, 1,4-dioxane,

ethanol, toluene, and acetone, thereby contaminating groundwater and surface-water. The state is asking the court to require

Brenntag to submit a remediation plan within 30 days.

This is, at its core, an environmental justice issue. This neighborhood, McTougald Terrace, is Durham's largest and oldest public

housing community. These creeks were once home to fish and wildlife that are unable to survive in these polluted habitats. Other

than mosquito larvae and leeches, both immune to water pollution, we have found no aquatic life in these streams. Children play

near this water and we must protect their right to splash and play in the creek on a hot afternoon, just as we did as children.

Aidil Ortiz, a community organizer who lives across from Brenntag, said, "Today is a step in the right direction by our NC state

leaders to protect everyday people from environmental harms. The issues have existed for decades and we hope this will end

Brenntag's pollution in our neighborhood and of our water."

"We're encouraged to see that the state is responding to the needs of our impacted community of neighbors," said Emily Sutton,

Executive Director and Haw Riverkeeper at Haw River Assembly. "Clean water cannot be an afterthought, and this action signals

that the agencies responsible for protecting our waterways are paying attention."

(Quote) - Kaitlyn, Water Quality Program Manager

Haw River Assembly has monitored water quality near the Brenntag facility and worked alongside Durham community members

since this issue first came to light. We will continue to track this case and support impacted residents. For more information on the

history of this site, visit hawriver.org/brenntagdetails.

Contact: Aidil Ortiz, Community Organizer - aidilortiz28@gmail.com or Anita Moore, Communications Manager at Haw River