Georgia County Says 3M, Mohawk Hidden Risks of Chemicals That Caused Health Crisis

In a new lawsuit, Murray County alleges that for decades, corporate manufacturers and users of “forever chemicals” used in carpets produced in northwestern Georgia have concealed the risks associated with them and compromised public health. He argued that this had led to the above-mentioned crisis.

In Monday’s complaint, the county targets carpet manufacturers such as Mohawk Industries and Shaw Industries, as well as chemical manufacturers such as 3M, Daikin and DuPont. Companies have known since the 1960s that the perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl materials they manufacture and use are toxic, and they are not aware of that fact while their contaminated waste is being disposed of in county landfills. He claims he was hiding it.

“Thanks to these and other failures by chemical manufacturers and users, virtually all, or virtually all, residents of northwest Georgia have access to Scotchgard, Stainmaster, and Teflon circulating in their veins, weakening their immune systems. suppressing the disease and causing debilitating and even fatal disease,” the county said in a statement. states in the lawsuit.

Representatives for the companies Murray County sued did not immediately respond to inquiries Monday. A DuPont spokesperson said its predecessor, EI DuPont de Nemours & Co., under its new name EIPD Inc., is the entity sued by Murray County. He said EI DuPont de Nemours operated a performance chemicals business until it was spun out. In 2015, it became Chemours Co.

Murray County’s lawsuit, which also includes claims against Chemours, is the latest in a growing legal battle stemming from the use of chemicals known as PFAS in Georgia’s carpet manufacturing industry. The county is located between Dalton and Ellijay and extends into Tennessee. The population is approximately 40,000.

The chemical, which is also used in nonstick pots, firefighting foam, and some food wrappers, does not break down in nature and has been linked to fertility problems, developmental delays, and an increased risk of certain cancers. It is increasing.

Attorneys representing Murray County and others involved in the pending case include attorney Erin Brockovich, whose battle with Pacific Gas & Electric Co. was the inspiration for the Oscar-winning film; A team of experts and consumer advocacy groups was assembled.

3M has pledged to stop producing PFAS by the end of 2025 and agreed to pay up to $12.5 billion to public water suppliers.

In 2023, DuPont and related companies announced a $1 billion settlement to end PFAS-related drinking water bills. In 2005, DuPont paid $10 million to settle claims from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that it failed to report risks related to PFAS.

The Murray County complaint follows Mohawk’s own lawsuit in Whitfield County Court against 3M, Daikin and other chemical manufacturers, accusing them of concealing the dangers of PFAS from users.

Murray County said in its complaint that the defendant companies made billions of dollars from PFAS-contaminated products and is seeking to pay for the necessary cleanup.

“We must contain, capture, and destroy PFAS in and around county landfills that are migrating into Georgia waters,” the county said in its lawsuit.

Dozens of water systems in Georgia, from small water utilities in Chatsworth and Somerville, North Georgia, to large water utilities serving cities such as Augusta and Columbus, already have safety levels. PFAS levels have been detected in water that may exceed .

Murray County says in its complaint that the landfill is “soaked” in PFAS, which are transferred daily into waterways through stormwater runoff, groundwater and landfill “sap” called leachate, and that PFAS levels are “on the charts.” “It’s out of line,” he claims. The county’s complaint includes a map showing dozens of water sources around the landfill where it says high levels of PFAS are present.

Earlier this year, the small North Georgia city of Calhoun agreed to overhaul its water system as part of a legal settlement with the Coosa River Basin Initiative.

The City of Dalton, known as the “Carpet and Flooring Capital of the World,” is pursuing its own water pollution lawsuits against 3M, Daikin, EIPD, Chemours, Shaw Industries and others.

Rome has been grappling with PFAS in its water system for many years. The PFAS lawsuit against 3M was settled in 2023 for $75 million. More than 30 other defendants also settled with the city.

Rome resident Jarrod Johnson has entered into separate agreements with various companies to improve local water quality as part of a class action lawsuit against dozens of alleged polluters, including 3M, Mohawk and Daikin.

Johnson’s case has been pending in a federal judge in the Northern District of Georgia since early 2020. The settlement between Johnson and some defendant companies includes commitments to protect rivers and promises not to discharge PFAS-containing wastewater into public water treatment systems.

2024 Atlanta Journal Constitution. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.