The Toxic Legacy of Carpet Mills: A Nationwide Investigation
A small town in northwestern Georgia has been at the center of a growing environmental scandal. Dalton's carpet mills have been releasing synthetic chemicals into local waters and rivers, contaminating drinking water across the region. What started as a localized issue has spread far beyond the town's borders, affecting communities from Alabama to South Carolina.
The story was first reported by investigative journalists at the Atlanta Journal Constitution, who discovered that the chemicals in question, known as "forever chemicals," were not only contaminating local waterways but also seeping into drinking water sources hundreds of miles away. The discovery sparked a sense of urgency among journalists, who recognized that the issue required a collaborative effort to unravel.
"We have to get together and collaborate to do these types of things right now because we don't have the type of resources and investigative reporting that we did decades ago," says Jason Dearen, an investigative reporter for the Associated Press. "That's something I really love about this whole thing – that I think this story doesn't necessarily get told in the same way unless we all come together."
The investigation involved a team of journalists from various outlets, including PBS' Frontline, The Post and Courier, AL.com, and others. They worked together to create a comprehensive database of information on the issue, sharing intel and documents to support their reporting.
Their findings paint a disturbing picture of a toxic legacy left by the carpet industry. Despite knowing about the dangers of "forever chemicals" for decades, companies have been slow to respond to the problem, leaving communities to deal with the consequences.
One documentary, "Contaminated: The Carpet Industry's Toxic Legacy," will premiere on PBS this week, based in part on the reporting from local journalists. The film shines a light on the issue and its far-reaching implications, highlighting how the chemicals are not only contaminating waterways but also affecting human health.
"It's like different chapters in a book," says Jonathan Schienberg, director and producer of the documentary. "The story that really hasn't been told in the past is the story of the downstream impacts."
As the investigation continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the impact of the carpet industry's toxic legacy will be felt far beyond the town of Dalton. The journalists involved hope that their findings will inspire change and spark a national conversation about the dangers of "forever chemicals" in consumer products.
"What's happening in northwest Georgia is really sort of the front line of a dynamic that's playing out all over the country," says Dylan Jackson, an investigative reporter for the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "These chemicals are not only everywhere; they're persistent. What we're dealing with in Georgia is something that communities across the country are going to have to deal with, for my generation and for future generations."
A small town in northwestern Georgia has been at the center of a growing environmental scandal. Dalton's carpet mills have been releasing synthetic chemicals into local waters and rivers, contaminating drinking water across the region. What started as a localized issue has spread far beyond the town's borders, affecting communities from Alabama to South Carolina.
The story was first reported by investigative journalists at the Atlanta Journal Constitution, who discovered that the chemicals in question, known as "forever chemicals," were not only contaminating local waterways but also seeping into drinking water sources hundreds of miles away. The discovery sparked a sense of urgency among journalists, who recognized that the issue required a collaborative effort to unravel.
"We have to get together and collaborate to do these types of things right now because we don't have the type of resources and investigative reporting that we did decades ago," says Jason Dearen, an investigative reporter for the Associated Press. "That's something I really love about this whole thing – that I think this story doesn't necessarily get told in the same way unless we all come together."
The investigation involved a team of journalists from various outlets, including PBS' Frontline, The Post and Courier, AL.com, and others. They worked together to create a comprehensive database of information on the issue, sharing intel and documents to support their reporting.
Their findings paint a disturbing picture of a toxic legacy left by the carpet industry. Despite knowing about the dangers of "forever chemicals" for decades, companies have been slow to respond to the problem, leaving communities to deal with the consequences.
One documentary, "Contaminated: The Carpet Industry's Toxic Legacy," will premiere on PBS this week, based in part on the reporting from local journalists. The film shines a light on the issue and its far-reaching implications, highlighting how the chemicals are not only contaminating waterways but also affecting human health.
"It's like different chapters in a book," says Jonathan Schienberg, director and producer of the documentary. "The story that really hasn't been told in the past is the story of the downstream impacts."
As the investigation continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the impact of the carpet industry's toxic legacy will be felt far beyond the town of Dalton. The journalists involved hope that their findings will inspire change and spark a national conversation about the dangers of "forever chemicals" in consumer products.
"What's happening in northwest Georgia is really sort of the front line of a dynamic that's playing out all over the country," says Dylan Jackson, an investigative reporter for the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "These chemicals are not only everywhere; they're persistent. What we're dealing with in Georgia is something that communities across the country are going to have to deal with, for my generation and for future generations."
... but on the other hand, it's kinda cool dat a bunch of journalists from diff places worked together 2 expose the truth 
. i mean, who knew carpet mills could be so bad? 
like, forever chemicals, dude? that's some crazy stuff 
. and the fact dat it's not just in georgia but everywhere else is like, woah 
. maybe this docu will get people 2 care about the issue more 
... or maybe it'll just be another thing on netflix 
.
. Like, seriously how can you just let toxic chemicals into the environment and expect everything to be okay? It's not like this is a new issue or something - people have known about "forever chemicals" being bad news since the 80s 
. And yet companies are still dragging their feet to address it, leaving entire communities to deal with the consequences. 
. We can't keep ignoring these problems, folks.
It's like they just decided to dump toxic waste wherever they pleased without anyone bothering to tell them it was a bad idea. And now we're paying the price with our water supply and health. 
What's next, are they gonna tell us that the furniture in our homes is also made of poison? 
This whole investigation thing might be a good start, but I bet there's still tons more to uncover... or not. 
it's crazy that ppl knew about these "forever chemicals" for decades but companies just didn't care about the impact on communities 
what's even more messed up is that these chemicals aren't just harming waterways, but also human health 
so fingers crossed that this story sparks change & ppl start talking about it in a national conversation 
! I mean, who knew that something as seemingly harmless as a rug could be so toxic? 
. These journalists are, like, totally on point with their reporting, and I'm so down for a documentary about it - "Contaminated" sounds so powerful! 
from drinkin the water. its like a ticking time bomb 
that's gonna affect ppl 4 generations to come. gotta do somethin' about this ASAP 
[
. Like what kind of company just lets their toxic waste contaminate an entire region's water supply?! 
.
. The investigation is really shedding light on this issue, hope it sparks change 
.
. And a documentary coming out? 
. We gotta take action and make sure our communities are protected 
. Fingers crossed for change 
so at least they're acknowledging it now and making a documentary about it 
I'm so sorry I missed this thread! I was out of the loop and didn't know about this huge investigation into Dalton's carpet mills. The idea of "forever chemicals" contaminating drinking water sources is just mind-blowing to me... like, what were they thinking? 
It's crazy that it took a team of journalists from different outlets working together to get to the bottom of this story. And now we have a documentary coming out - that sounds so important! 
Can't wait to learn more and see what impact this investigation will have. 
. On a more serious note, though, it's actually kinda disturbing to think about the impact of these chemicals on human health and the environment. Can we just get some real action around this instead of just talking about it?