Sasha and Jamie Cordle thought their farm in Georgia, in the southern United States, would be a gift for their children and grandchildren. Instead, the property could be poisoning them due to severe contamination with perennial pollutants. Tests have shown that their spring water is contaminated with perennial pollutants (PFAS) at levels significantly higher—tens of thousands of times—than the federally regulated thresholds.
The "carpet capital" has become one of the most PFAS-contaminated cities in the United States
The farm is located in Dalton, a town of 35,000 that prides itself on being the "carpet capital of the world." But now, factories owned by Mohawk Industries and Shaw Industries are being blamed for making the area one of the most pollutant-contaminated in the country. It scares us"It's a huge challenge," says Sasha Cordle, 38, who works with her husband for a trucking company. She's worried about their five children, as well as their two-year-old granddaughter and their grandson, who is due in October.
THE PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, have been widely used in industry since the mid-20th century, for herbicides, consumer goods, fire-fighting foams, and stain-resistant carpets. These pollutants, which take thousands of years to decompose in the environment, contaminate the blood of almost all living creatures and are notably associated with birth defects and reduced fertility.
Carpet manufacturers represent Dalton's main economic activity, but many residents are now turning against them. Along with other property owners, the Cordles have decided to take legal action. So far, 18 complaints have been filed. For attorney Ben Finley, who wants to plead " a direct link between contamination, loss of property value and the cost of remediation"It is first a matter of testing the reaction of the courts. According to him, this procedure is simpler than trying to prove a link with the development of cancers, even if such cases are examined.
Samples to build a scientific dossier
Meanwhile, Bob Bowcock, an expert, is taking water, soil, and dust samples to build the scientific case. According to him, springs feeding ponds and rivers in the area have pollution of "180,000 nanograms/liter", while national regulations for tap water set the limit content at 4 nanograms/litre.
Mohawk Industries, Shaw Industries, and chemical giant 3M, which produces PFAS, declined to comment on the lawsuit. Chemours, another PFAS manufacturer also targeted, said it has no factories in Georgia and denies liability. Dalton Utilities, the entity that manages the local water system, is also suing the carpet manufacturers, while Mohawk Industries has decided to take legal action against 3M.
Read alsoThe effects of eternal pollutants on health
THE PFAS also enter the food chain, contaminant eggs, milk, beef and vegetables that end up in stores. In 2024, the Joe Biden administration established maximum concentration levels for six PFAS in tap water. But Donald Trump has reversed some of these limits.
In the meantime, the Cordle family has already seen the consequences on its healthSasha, who has lived on the property since her marriage in 2020, quickly developed two autoimmune diseases, hypertension and chronic fatigue. Sometimes when I get out of bed I feel like I'm 80 years old." she says. One of her sons suffers from severe migraines and her grandson's ultrasounds at to be born are worrying. On the farm, kids were born hairless and with a malformation.
Read alsoPFAS: Are “Eternal Pollutants” in Drinking Water Responsible for a Rise in Cancers?
Other residents have serious health problems. The father, brother, and husband of Teresa Ensley, a 57-year-old human resources manager, all died of cancer within a few years.
Poor residents with serious health problems
Studies have linked PFAS to high rates of colon cancer, the disease that killed her brother and husband. She and her 81-year-old mother suffer from severe thyroid problems and have had their uterus removed. Mary Janet Clark, 62, who worked for Shaw and Mohawk Industries, had her ovaries removed following cancer. She now has a brain tumor. We helped them build their business and make all that money" recalls his son, David Wray, 40. It's just cruel" he says.
English 
French