Georgia County Claims 3M and Mohawk Concealed Chemical Hazards Contributing to Health Crisis

Murray County has filed a new lawsuit alleging that for decades, corporate manufacturers and users of “forever chemicals” utilized in carpet production in Northwest Georgia have concealed the associated health risks, resulting in a public health crisis.

The county’s complaint, lodged on Monday, targets chemical companies such as 3M, Daikin, and DuPont, along with carpet manufacturers like Mohawk and Shaw Industries. It asserts that these companies have been aware of the toxicity of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) since the 1960s but chose to hide that information while contaminated waste was discharged into the county landfill.

“As a result of these and other oversights by chemical manufacturers and users, essentially all residents of Northwest Georgia have come into contact with substances like Scotchgard, Stainmaster, and Teflon, which may be impairing their immune systems and triggering serious illnesses,” the suit claims.

Company representatives named in the lawsuit did not respond immediately to requests for comments on Monday. A spokesperson for DuPont pointed out that the suit is against its predecessor, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., which now operates under the name EIPD Inc. He clarified that E.I. du Pont de Nemours ran its performance chemicals division until it became the Chemours Co. in 2015.

Murray County’s lawsuit, which also includes claims against Chemours, is part of a larger legal struggle regarding the use of PFAS in Georgia’s carpet manufacturing sector. The county is located between Dalton and Ellijay and stretches to the Tennessee border, with a population nearing 40,000.

These chemicals, also found in nonstick cookware, firefighting foams, and some food packaging, resist degradation in the environment and have been increasingly associated with reproductive issues, developmental delays, and heightened cancer risks.

Attorneys representing Murray County and other parties involved in ongoing lawsuits have formed a coalition of lawyers, water specialists, and consumer advocates, including Erin Brockovich, famed for her legal battle against Pacific Gas & Electric Co., which inspired an award-winning film.

3M has committed to phasing out PFAS production by the end of 2025 and has agreed to pay up to $12.5 billion to public water suppliers.

This year, DuPont and affiliated companies reached a $1 billion settlement to resolve claims related to PFAS contamination in drinking water. In 2005, the company settled with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for $10 million over failures to disclose PFAS-related risks.

Murray County’s lawsuit follows a lawsuit Mohawk filed against 3M, Daikin, and other chemical manufacturers in a Whitfield County court, alleging they concealed PFAS risks from consumers.

In its complaint, Murray County seeks to hold the defendant companies responsible for cleanup costs, stating that they profited significantly from products containing PFAS.

“The PFAS present in and around the county’s landfill, which are leaching into Georgia’s water systems, must be contained, captured, and removed,” the county contends in its legal action.

Numerous water systems across Georgia—from small providers in Chatsworth and Summerville in North Georgia to larger ones servicing cities like Augusta and Columbus—have already detected PFAS levels in their water that exceed safety thresholds.

The county claims in its filing that its landfill is “pickled” with PFAS, which leaches daily into waterways through stormwater runoff, groundwater, and leachate, where PFAS concentrations are described as “off the charts.” A map included in the county’s lawsuit illustrates various water sources around the landfill with elevated PFAS levels.

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

The city of Dalton, recognized as “the carpet and flooring capital of the world,” is pursuing its own lawsuit against 3M, Daikin, EIPD, Chemours, Shaw Industries, and others over water pollution issues.

Rome has been addressing PFAS contamination in its water for several years. In 2023, it settled PFAS claims against 3M for $75 million, with over 30 other defendants also reaching settlements with the city.

Jarrod Johnson, a Rome resident, has been negotiating improvements to water quality in his community and is leading a proposed class action against several alleged polluters, including 3M, Mohawk, and Daikin.

His case has been ongoing in the federal court for the Northern District of Georgia since early 2020, with various settlements already reached with some defendants that involve protective measures for local rivers and prohibitions on discharging PFAS-laden wastewater into public treatment systems.