CHATSWORTH, Ga. (WDEF)- A group of environmental scientists in northwest Georgia say recent test results of forever chemicals in North Georgia have them alarmed.
PFAS Georgia at a town hall in Chatsworth says that the majority of tests for forever chemicals across North Georgia have tested above the EPA limits.
They say 56% of water samples, 69% of soil samples, and 97% of dust samples all came back above the limit of 4 parts of forever chemicals per trillion (PPT), which scientists say can lead to a variety of health issues.
In particular, the most egregious results were:
- A water sample of 186,310 PPT
- A soil sample of 2,154,100 PPT
- A dust sample of 879,500 PPT
A hotspot map across north Georgia showing concentrations of forever chemicals. (Courtesy: PFAS Georgia)
The Water Resources Manager for PFAS Georgia, Bob Bowcock, said that some of the readings were so high their testing equipment could not register a reading.
PFAS Georgia says this is the result of the improper discarding of chemicals from carpet manufacturers, many of whom are facing ongoing lawsuits in Catoosa, Whitfield, Murray, and Gordon Counties.
Bowcock gravely said, “I think that we are at the point now where you have to tell your neighbors. You have to let them know. Whether they’ve been tested or not this is real, and if you’re drinking 850 parts and you don’t tell your neighbors… It’s really eating at me.”
A proposed bill in the Georgia House of Representatives that was proposed by Dalton representative Kasey Carpenter that would have shielded carpet manufacturers from lawsuits did not pass.
There will be another town hall Friday night in Calhoun, Georgia.
