Police raid Chemours plant in Dordrecht in criminal probe over toxic PFAS emissions

Dutch police raided the Chemours chemical plant in Dordrecht on Tuesday as part of a criminal investigation into the company's alleged release of toxic substances into the environment, authorities confirmed. The operation was led by the Dutch Public Prosecution Service (Openbaar Ministerie), with support from the police, the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate, and the regional environmental agency DCMR, according to AD.

A large group of officers entered the facility in the morning. A police truck was parked outside to analyze any materials seized during the search. Two prosecutors on site confirmed the raid was part of the ongoing criminal investigation. “We are looking for information,” one said. “It’s not unusual for this to happen in a case like this. It could take a few hours or a few days.”

A spokesperson for the Public Prosecution Service told AD that the search was connected to the case but declined to specify what was being sought. Searches are typically carried out when there are grounds to believe that evidence is being withheld.

Chemours acknowledged the raid but gave few details. “Chemours received an unannounced visit from the authorities today,” a company spokesperson said. “As with previous inspections, Chemours is fully cooperating.”

The criminal investigation began after environmental attorney Bénédicte Ficq filed a formal complaint in June 2023 on behalf of five residents living near the Dordrecht facility. The complaint accuses Chemours’ current and former executives of “deliberately introducing dangerous substances into the environment,” a charge that carries a prison sentence of 12 to 15 years under Dutch law.

That complaint has since grown into a broader case, with approximately 1,600 individuals now listed as co-filers. Ficq said Tuesday’s raid signaled that prosecutors are taking the case seriously. “The health interests of local residents are clearly being taken seriously by the Public Prosecution Service,” she told AD. “I’m very curious about the outcome of the investigation.”

The legal action seeks to hold executives personally liable for knowingly releasing toxic substances into the surrounding area. The complaint alleges that Chemours and its predecessor, DuPont, continued to emit harmful chemicals for decades despite knowing the health risks.

The case gained national attention following a 2023 broadcast by Dutch investigative program Zembla, which revealed that DuPont—now operating as Chemours—possessed hundreds of internal documents showing it had known since the 1960s about the dangers of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), a group of synthetic chemicals used in manufacturing.

Those documents reportedly show that DuPont knew as far back as the 1990s that it was contaminating groundwater beneath and around the factory with PFAS. The company also remained silent for decades about the risks of PFOA, a specific PFAS compound linked to cancer and reproductive issues.

Chemours has long been the focus of public criticism and lawsuits related to its use of PFAS in producing items such as nonstick cookware coatings. However, this marks the first time the company has been targeted in a criminal investigation.

News of the raid was welcomed by local residents and environmental activists. Meta Kamphuis, one of the original complainants, arrived at the scene to see it firsthand. “I cried with joy when I heard the police were raiding the place,” she told AD. “If they didn’t suspect anything, they wouldn’t do a raid, right? They don’t raid for sweaty feet—it costs too much money. My day couldn’t be better.”