New findings push PFAS investigation toward major legal action

DALTON Ga. (WDEF) For more than a year, families in northwest Georgia have been living with unanswered questions about PFAS, often called forever chemicals.

News 12 attended a community update where the attorneys leading the PFAS Georgia investigation outlined what eighteen months of testing has uncovered and what the community should expect next.

One of the lead attorneys, Ben Finley, presented a presentation with a direct message to residents.

“They use PFAS because they made a lot of money. They put corporate greed and profit over human lives and safety.”

The investigation began with widespread testing of water, soil, and indoor dust, all in an effort to track how deeply PFAS contamination has reached into homes and neighborhoods.

“PFAS is a chemical designed during World War II. It is heat resistant, stain resistant, and water resistant. It is toxic in the human body and is a carcinogen that has caused health issues and damages to people throughout the United States.”

Attorneys say the results of the testing were not only concerning but alarming.

“The numbers have been incredibly high. There are thousands and thousands of parts per trillion. Four parts per trillion is toxic in the human body. When you see ten thousand parts per trillion, it is tragic.”

During the meeting, investigators displayed a comparison to give residents a clear visual.

Attorneys say the evidence gathered was significant enough to move forward with multiple legal claims.

“3M provided that product that started the fire and caused the contamination. They provided it to Shaw and Mohawk. Shaw and Mohawk could have captured and killed it on the warehouse floor but chose not to, and they are largely instrumental in the reason why it entered Georgia’s water and on the ground in Georgia. Because of that, they have all been brought into the claim. We have seen that the manufacturers have said the profit industries is reckless in terms of how they handled it, and the carpet industry has said that the manufacturers are responsible. It is kind of interesting that both are, in our view, failing to take responsibility because it is a shared problem between all of them.”

The meeting concluded with certificates and awards presented to community advocates who have helped raise awareness about PFAS exposure and encouraged others to do the same.