Citizens in Northwest Georgia affected by PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances), also known as “forever chemicals,” have legal recourse. Georgia Attorney Ben Finley is coordinating those affected in a class action lawsuit. The lawsuit hasn’t been filed, but Finley held a town hall-style meeting in Chatsworth in late summer to hear citizens’ stories and concerns and provide information.
He was one of several attorneys at the meeting along with well-known environmental class action expert Erin Brockovich.
Georgia is the focus of those looking at PFAS because of leaks occurring in Northwest Georgia that affected the Cities of Calhoun and Rome. Whitfield County is also affected as carpet mills are the source of much contamination.
Finley said his target for a class action lawsuit isn’t local cities or the carpet industry. He is setting his legal focus on the company behind the chemicals – 3M.
“Unfortunately, for decades the local manufacturers were sold a bunch of chemicals by 3M, a massive, multinational corporation, based in Minnesota, that were used to make the carpet and other flooring materials stain resistant,” Finley said.
“These toxic chemicals do not degrade and build up on the land, in the water, and even in the animals and fish we consume.”
Finley said he organized a team of advocates to provide justice to citizens and force a clean-up of the land and water. Those on his team represented residents in California during the 2017-18 wildfires with a $13.5 billion settlement and are representing landowners and farmers in Maine with land made toxic with forever chemicals.
This isn’t the first litigation stemming from PFAS in Northwest Georgia. Public records of a settlement with the City of Rome were released after the Court of Appeals ordered disclosure. The companies of E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., the Chemours Co. FC LLC, DuPont de Nemours Inc., and Corteva Inc., were some of the 30 entities settling with the city so far. Those companies sued the city to prevent the public release of settlement information.
Rome will have millions to clean up the toxic water covering the cost of a $100 million water treatment plant to provide for clean water. The city is set to also receive $233 million from other settlements, $75 million from 3M, and $25 million from the City of Dalton Utilities, where the source of the leak was found.
The Southern Environmental Law Center also filed a lawsuit. It filed a federal lawsuit in March against the City of Calhoun and a second defendant for their client, the Coosa River Basin Initiative.
None of these current lawsuits include direct representation of citizens. That’s where Finley steps in. He set up a permanent office at 517 Benjamin Way #406 Dalton for anyone wanting to know more about this case. Finley also has a website at PFASGeorgia.com or you can call at 762-231-0094 for more information.