Europe's Chemical Industry 'Shutdown Wave': Exactly How Many Chemical Plants Have Been Closed? A Detailed List for You

Permanently shut down the Olefins VI steam cracker unit located in Wilton, Teesside, UK, with an ethylene capacity of 865,000 tons/year; the unit has remained idle since its October 2020 maintenance shutdown. Dow Inc.: In July 2024, announced the closure of three chemical plants in Europe. — Shut down the ethylene cracker in Böhlen, Germany, and the chlor-alkali/vinyl assets in Schkopau, Germany; scheduled for cessation in Q4 2027. — Shut down the base silicones plant in Barry, UK (capacity: 145,000 tons/year); scheduled for mid-2026. — Shut down the Schkopau chlor-alkali plant, with capacities of 250,000 tons/year chlorine, 275,000 tons/year caustic soda, 250,000 tons/year EDC, and 390,000 tons/year VCM; scheduled for Q4 2027. AkzoNobel: Between 2024 and May 2025, progressively shut down select capacities. — Plans to close production sites in Wapenveld, the Netherlands, and Machelen, Belgium, consolidating operations into other regional facilities. — Shut down three production sites across Europe and Africa: Groote-Ammers (Netherlands), Cork (Ireland), and Lusaka (Zambia). Huntsman: Implemented multiple shutdown measures between February and May 2025. — Potential closure of its polyurethane (PU) plants in Europe. — Following an assessment on May 28, decided to shut down its maleic anhydride plant in Moers, Germany, by end-Q2 2025. — PU plants in Deggendorf, Germany, and Kings Lynn, UK, also announced for closure. Chemours: In February 2025, announced a strategic realignment of its European operations. — Conducting a strategic review of its Advanced Performance Materials (APM) business, headquartered in Mechelen, Belgium, and Villers-Saint-Paul, France. The company has impaired certain assets and suspended the Nafion expansion project at its Villers-Saint-Paul facility in France. — Decided to exit the Surface Protection Solutions (SPS) Capstone business. The APM exit is attributed to regulatory changes and declining demand, as markets increasingly reject end-capped polymer chemistry. The Capstone exit stems from third-party forecasts indicating low end-use demand in the hydrogen sector and uncertain growth trajectories beyond 2030. Shell: In March 2025, announced exploration of U.S. strategic partnerships while planning closures of select European assets—including its ortho-/para-xylene assets in Wesseling, Germany, and its methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) facility in Pernis, the Netherlands. — In July 2025, elevated its “scope assessment” to a formal “exit plan,” deciding to shut down aromatic and olefin units at its Rheinland integrated refining & petrochemical complex in Germany, and selected olefin and derivative units at its Moerdijk site in the Netherlands. — Plans phased shutdown of the cracker unit at Mossmorran, UK, between 2026 and 2027. TotalEnergies: In April 2025, announced plans to permanently shut down an aging cracker unit at its Antwerp refinery-petrochemical complex in Belgium by the end of 2027; the unit has ethylene capacity of 550,000 tons/year and propylene capacity of 230,000 tons/year.

U.S. Water Crisis (Part II): The Eternal Toxin

Data Sources Data Point Source Kelly, a housewife from Calhoun; daily sweet tea consumption; self-funded blood testing in 2019; neighbors and friends died of cancer FRONTLINE/AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution joint documentary 'Contaminated: The Carpet Industry’s Toxic Legacy,' February 2026 Calhoun residents drank PFAS-contaminated water for 50 years (200,000 people); 30% higher cancer incidence Same source; Dalton State College 2008 study on PFAS in local water sources Dalton carpet mills sprayed PFAS-laden wastewater over 9,600 acres of forest land; downstream contamination persists for 100+ years FRONTLINE's 'Contaminated,' February 2026; Tencent News, May 2026 1938: Roy Plunkett of DuPont accidentally discovered polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE); 1944: 'Teflon' trademark registered; used as seals in Manhattan Project; 1961: non-stick cookware launched DuPont official corporate history; ProPublica's 'The Teflon Toxin' series DuPont’s Teflon business annual net profit: over $1 billion DuPont annual reports; ProPublica investigation 1961: DuPont internal toxicology report noted rat liver enlargement; 1981: 3M’s seven female workers gave birth to two severely deformed infants; 1990: rat testicular tumors observed; 1993: cost analysis for alternatives led to decision not to switch 110,000 pages of internal DuPont documents obtained by attorney Robert Bilott via court-ordered injunction in 2000; ProPublica's 'The Teflon Toxin' 1998: At the Tennant farm in West Virginia, 153 of 600 cattle died; linked to waste landfill near DuPont’s Washington Works plant Same source; case materials for the film 'Dark Waters' 2000: Attorney Robert Bilott filed motion for court-ordered injunction to obtain 110,000 pages of internal DuPont documents DeSmog long-form reporting; film 'Dark Waters' (2019) PFAS exposure linked to thyroid cancer, kidney cancer, testicular cancer, immune dysfunction, fetal death or disability; half-life of long-chain PFAS compounds: decades NIH PubMed reviews; EPA PFAS Health Risk White Paper; IARC carcinogen assessment 176 million Americans’ public drinking water contains PFAS; 1,050 water systems exceed safety thresholds; coverage affects 52 million people EPA 2025 public data; Sina Focus, May 2026 CDC: 97% of Americans have detectable PFAS levels in blood CDC NHANES sampling data; CDC PFAS Health Brief U.S. annual healthcare expenditures attributable to PFAS exposure: $5.7 billion NYU Langone School of Medicine Trasande team, journal 'Exposure and Health,' 2023 Rome, GA: $100 million PFAS treatment plant; Anaheim, CA: $200 million; Calhoun, GA: filtration facility construction began in 2024 China News Service, February 2026; Sina Focus, May 2026; City of Rome, GA City Council resolution Rome, GA municipal bond interest rate: 4.2%; 30-year repayment term; average monthly water bill increased from $35 to $58; share of disposable income rose from 0.8% to 1.4% Same source Home reverse-osmosis system: $600 upfront; replacement filters: $200/year; blood testing: $300 per test EWG Tap Water Database; resident testimonials (FRONTLINE documentary) DuPont founded in 1802 in Wilmington, DE; began purchasing PFOA from 3M in 1951 DuPont official corporate history; ProPublica's 'The Teflon Toxin' 3M announced phaseout of PFOA in 2002; DuPont began manufacturing and scaling up PFOA production at its Fayetteville Works plant in North Carolina EPA public archives; ProPublica investigation 2005: EPA fined DuPont $16.5 million—the maximum statutory penalty allowed at the time EPA press release, December 2005 2017: DuPont settled for $671 million with 3,500 residents in Ohio and West Virginia Reuters, February 2017; ProPublica 2015: DuPont spun off Chemours (assuming $4 billion debt and 3,500 PFAS-related lawsuits); 2019: spun off Corteva DuPont SEC Form 8-K filings; Chemours 2015 IPO prospectus 2021: Liability allocation finalized: Chemours 50%, DuPont 35.5%, Corteva 14.5% Chemours 2021 announcement; SEC filings DuPont cumulative settlement payments: $671 million (2017), $40 million (Abbott case, 2020), $1.18 billion (2023), $27 million (Hoosick Falls, July 2025), $875 million (New Jersey, August 2025) Reuters; New Jersey Attorney General’s Office announcements DuPont’s highest annual revenue in recent years: $13 billion DuPont 2024 Form 10-K report UN Human Rights Council investigator statement, 2024 UN OHCHR public statement, September 2024 April 2024: Biden administration EPA issued first-ever national enforceable drinking water limits for six PFAS compounds; monitoring begins in 2027; compliance required by 2029; full enforcement effective 2031 EPA official announcement, April 2024 First new enforceable limit added to the Safe Drinking Water Act since its 1996 amendment EPA historical archives May 2025: Trump administration EPA revoked four PFAS limits, retained two, and extended compliance deadlines to 2031 Sigma Earth, 2025; Weidu Network, May 2025; EPA press release, May 2025 December 2024: The Guardian reported EPA accelerated approval of novel short-chain PFAS for semiconductor industry The Guardian, December 2024 Love Canal: Hooker Chemical dumped 21,800 tons of chemical waste (including DDT, dioxins, hexachlorobenzene) between 1942–1953; sold site for $1 on April 28, 1953, with liability waiver Economic Observer, December 2023; EPA Superfund file NYD000606947; NYT, August 3, 1978 1976: Black sludge seeped into basements around school; 1978: President Carter declared federal emergency; 950 households evacuated Niagara Gazette, 1976–1978 investigative reporting by Michael Brown; Carter Presidential Library emergency declaration archives 1980: Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act ('Superfund') established strict, joint, and retroactive liability for pollution; 1995: Occidental Petroleum settled for $129 million; cleanup lasted 24 years, costing over $400 million Same source; EPA Superfund archives General Electric PCB contamination; PG&E hexavalent chromium contamination EPA Hudson River Project archives; film 'Erin Brockovich' EWG 2024 compilation of 50,000 U.S. public water systems; 320+ contaminants detected; over 200 without federal enforceable limits EWG Tap Water Database 2024 Report November 2023: International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified PFAS as Group 1 carcinogens IARC Monographs, Volume 135 (November 2023)

Chemours Co Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over Opteon Product Demand

Oct 18, 2026

Chemours Co faces a class action lawsuit alleging overstated demand for Opteon products and unreliable financial guidance. Investors purchasing securities between February and August 2026 are encouraged to join the case by December 7, 2026.

The National Law Review

Chemours Faces Securities Class Action Over Opteon Demand Claims

ACCESS Newswire

Chemours Company Faces Class Action Over Opteon Demand Claims

GlobeNewswire

2026-10-09

Chemours Company Faces Securities Fraud Class Action Over Opteon Demand Claims

2026-10-11

Chemours Faces Securities Lawsuit Over Disclosures and Guidance

2026-10-11

Chemours Company Faces Class Action Lawsuit Alleging Investor Harm