A new investigation highlighted by WTVC-TV details years of concerns surrounding PFAS contamination tied to northwest Georgia’s carpet industry and the response from state environmental regulators.
The investigation, conducted by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Associated Press, and PBS FRONTLINE, examined how “forever chemicals” known as PFAS spread through waterways connected to the carpet manufacturing region around Dalton and into neighboring Alabama.
PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of man-made chemicals once widely used in stain-resistant carpet manufacturing. Scientists have linked some forms of PFAS to serious health risks, including certain cancers, while the chemicals are known for persisting in the environment for decades.
According to the investigation, testing conducted by the University of Georgia in 2008 found high levels of PFAS in the Conasauga River, which serves as a drinking water source for parts of northwest Georgia and Alabama. State-funded follow-up studies also detected the chemicals in fish living in the river.
Despite the findings, Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division did not issue fish consumption advisories or public drinking water warnings at the time. The investigation reported that regulators also delayed extensive testing and resisted efforts by neighboring Alabama officials and the Environmental Protection Agency to more aggressively monitor contamination.
Former EPA Water Protection Division Director Jim Giattina told investigators Georgia regulators appeared “very defensive” when Alabama sought assistance tracing the source of PFAS contamination after chemicals were detected in Alabama drinking water systems in 2016.
The report also cited court testimony indicating that then-EPD Director Carol Couch privately met with representatives from the carpet industry in 2008 and indicated the agency had no immediate plans to regulate PFAS.
State officials defended their approach, saying they relied on federal guidance while scientific understanding of PFAS risks evolved. EPD Deputy Director Anna Truszczynski said the agency attempted to balance environmental concerns with economic impacts and has helped communities with testing support and filtration guidance.
The investigation noted that Georgia still does not have its own PFAS regulations, though the state is considering adopting drinking water standards aligned with upcoming federal requirements.
Major carpet manufacturers Shaw Industries and Mohawk Industries told investigators they stopped using PFAS in U.S. carpet production in 2019, but contamination remains in the region’s waterways and soil.
One ongoing source identified in the report is the Loopers Bend land application system operated by Dalton Utilities. The nearly 9,600-acre site has long sprayed treated wastewater from carpet manufacturing operations onto land near the Conasauga River, under a system originally designed to filter pollutants naturally through soil and vegetation.
Environmental advocates and riverkeepers continue to raise concerns that PFAS contamination is still reaching waterways downstream, including drinking water sources serving communities across northwest Georgia and eastern Alabama.
WTVC-TV in Chattanooga highlighted the findings as renewed attention focuses on long-term cleanup efforts and accountability surrounding PFAS contamination in the region.