Teknor Apex is a manufacturer of PVC and vinyl materials, it sits in the trees in the middle of Jamestown between Deep River and Hood Container. Formerly known as “Viking Polymers” it discharges to Deep River and Eastside WWTP.
A tributary flows alongside the company’s building to Deep River. In September 2024, testing by the City of High Point showed PFAS in Teknor Apex’s wastewater: PFHxA 7.84 ppt (parts per trillion), PFBS 3.68 ppt, PFOS 4.60 ppt and PFOSA 6.82 ppt (Note: the test lab used VERY high “minimum detection levels” which means there are more PFAS compounds in the sample that didn’t make the list because of the way the lab chose to report it). Also in their wastewater: antimony, arsenic, cyanide, lead and zinc.
In April 2025, Teknor Apex was found to be in noncompliance with a “general permit” it holds as a “No Exposure”company. This exempts it from having to hold an NPDES stormwater permit, subject to more stringent monitoring requirements and pollution limits.
PFAS in wastewater and stormwater runoff contradicts the principle of “No Exposure,” which is to prevent any industrial materials or activities from contacting stormwater and water supply waterways:
Under the U.S. Clean Water Act, falsely certifying “No Exposure” (or failing to maintain the “No Exposure” condition after initial approval was granted), can lead to significant penalties under the Clean Water Act. The NCDEQ inspector told Teknor Apex to schedule a reinspection once the “corrective actions” have been completed.
Jamestown’s town manager is responsible for managing the town’s stormwater program and NPDES permits and, as such, he has jurisdictional authority over Teknor Apex, along with Hood Container and Oakdale Mill/Northpoint Partnership. (See Section 3.1 of Jamestown’s Stormwater Management Plan)
As an NPDES MS4 permit holder, “Illicit Discharge Detection & Elimination” is one of six Minimum Control Measures REQUIRED of the town manager by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the NC Department of Environmental Quality. The NPDES program, requirements and enforcement actions are discussed in the foregoing links. Inquiries may be directed to NPDES director Isaiah Reed at isaiah.reed@deq.nc.gov.
More on Teknor Apex, Viking Polymers and PVC
LINK TO HISTORICAL FILE:
In this 2014 article, Louis Cappucci, Teknor Apex’s vice president and head of the vinyl division, said the acquisition of Viking Polymers in Jamestown added to the company’s “rigid PVC capabilities and represents an extension of its product portfolio into weather-able cap stocks, CPVC compounds and other specialties for the fast-growing building and construction market.”
A 2014 Triad Business Journal article describes the company as a “producer of thermoplastic compounds for a variety of materials.” Other marketing and news items describe the company as a manufacturer of PVC building materials. PVC is a source of PFAS.
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