South’s carpet industry has a toxic forever chemical legacy

Main Idea: An AP investigation found that Shaw Industries, Mohawk Industries Inc., and other carpet makers helped spread PFAS “forever chemicals” through wastewater, leaving a toxic legacy in parts of the South.

Key Points:

• Carpet factories in northwest Georgia used PFAS for stain resistance for decades, and wastewater carried the chemicals into rivers and drinking water.
• The reporting says Shaw and Mohawk kept using PFAS for years even as health concerns grew, while local oversight and regulation lagged.
• The contamination has affected communities in Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina, with some residents now facing health problems and costly water cleanup.
• Some companies and utilities have begun fixes, like special filtration systems, but private wells still face major risks and often get little testing.