Commercial Truck Insurance in Calhoun, GA

Environment engineer Collect samples of wastewater from industrial canals in test tube, Close up hand with glove Collect samples of wastewater from industrial canals in test tube. mobile water laboratory check

CALHOUN, Ga. — A federal lawsuit alleges that the city of Calhoun, Georgia allowed a company to discharge forever chemicals known as PFAS into the Coosawattee River watershed.

As a result, the lawsuit says this has contaminated Gordon County's drinking water.

The suit, filed by the Coosa River Basin Initiative, says Moss Land Company and Calhoun's Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) contaminated the water for years.

The Calhoun WPCP lies next to the Oostanaula River in Gordon County.

The lawsuit alleges that the company has been permitted to discharge up to 16 million gallons per day of treated effluent into the river.

The lawsuit claims the city of Calhoun did not disclose the discharge of any PFAS from its WPCP sludge disposal operations in its NPDES Permit Application submitted to EPD prior to EPD’s issuance of either the 2023 NPDES Permit or the 2016 NPDES Permit.

The Calhoun WPCP employs an activated sludge biological treatment process.

The lawsuit claims this process generates sludge (biosolids) that, for many years, has been "aerobically digested, dewatered in belt presses and disposed of at designated land application sites throughout Gordon County."

This conventional wastewater treatment is incapable of removing or destroying PFAS--according to the lawsuit---which are discharged into the Calhoun WPCP from Industrial Users, and accumulate in and contaminate the sludge generated by the WPCP.

PFAS refer to a class of thousands of synthetic chemicals that have been used in manufacturing since at least the 1940s that are known to be dangerous to human health and the environment.

Due to their strong carbon-fluorine bonds, PFAS are highly stable and are resistant to heat and chemical reactions and repel both oil and water.

The lawsuit says Moss Land Company is the owner of three large parcels of property in Gordon County that contain twelve sludge fields, located adjacent to the Coosawattee River and a short distance upstream of the surface water intake providing the source water to Calhoun’s Mauldin Road WTP.

"As part of Calhoun’s sludge waste generation, treatment, handling, transport, and disposal operations, Calhoun and Moss Land Company have, for over twenty years, disposed of PFAS-contaminated sludge generated by the Calhoun WPCP on Sludge Field 11," the lawsuit says.

This, according to the lawsuit, has contaminated the drinking water of Gordon County.

We've reached out to the City of Calhoun for their response to these allegations.

UPDATE: Here is the City of Calhoun's response, from City Administrator Paul Worley:

The Coosa River Basin Initiative (CRBI) through SELC filed a lawsuit against the City of Calhoun. CRBI chose to assert its allegations against the City—but not the polluters. This is fundamentally counter to CRBI’s stated philosophy that it enforces water claims against polluters. CRBI’s action will accomplish nothing except cost the taxpayers more money.

Calhoun has taken a different course. It is going after the source of the problem. In response to claims brought by the Moss Land Company, Calhoun has filed cross claims against the polluters. It has asked the Gordon County Superior Court to award Calhoun damages from the polluters to compensate Calhoun for the actions it is taking—and has taken—to ensure that the public has access to safe and clean water.

The City of Calhoun is especially disappointed with CRBI filing its lawsuit because, over the course of several months, the City has taken significant steps to address CRBI’s concerns. CRBI has chosen to be adversarial to Calhoun, instead of working as a partner with Calhoun to hold those chemical and carpet manufacturers responsible. The City will defend itself against the claims of CRBI while pressing the claims in Superior Court against the industries responsible for creating the crisis.

Read the lawsuit below:

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Atlanta News First Investigates has learned of claims against a north Georgia city accused of contaminating drinking water.

The claims involve the City of Calhoun, which is about an hour north of Atlanta.

The allegations involve a chemical compound that unfortunately has become prevalent in the area. That compound is PFAS, or polyfluoroalkyl, a group of chemicals linked to severe illness, including cancer. The compound is often called the “forever chemical” because it does not break down naturally.

On Thursday afternoon, the Southern Environmental Law Center filed a lawsuit against the city. The lawsuit claims Calhoun’s wastewater treatment plant is polluting the region with PFAS in two ways.

The first: discharging PFAS directly to the Coosawattee River from a sludge field upstream from one of the city’s main drinking water intakes. The second: contaminating groundwater with PFAS from previously dumped sludge.

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The city operates a publicly-owned wastewater treatment plant that receives and treats industrial wastewater from major carpet producers — industries known to use PFAS.

“It’s generally understood that to be a very bad thing when you have forever chemicals that are occupying these public waters and natural resources,” Chris Bowers, attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center, said. “The permit system needs to work as intended to prevent entering the environment, these chemicals from entering the environment.”

Atlanta News First Investigates reached out to city officials for comment on the lawsuit.

While the city hasn’t responded yet, its website recognizes the contamination and is currently working to upgrade its water treatment plant, using a federal grant it received in 2023 for the upgrades.

Calhoun is not the only north Georgia city with a PFAS problem.

The City of Rome is currently building a new water treatment plant to remove PFAS after it discovered elevated levels of the chemical in the river that once supplied its drinking water.

In 2023, Atlanta News First tested Rome residents’ blood for the chemical. Our test results showed that the majority of residents had PFAS levels in higher than the national median.

If there’s something you would like Atlanta News First Investigative Reporter Andy Pierrotti to look into, email andy.pierrotti@wanf.com.

Copyright 2024 WANF. All rights reserved.

Northwest Georgia remains mired in legal woes related to PFAS contamination in the water.

On March 7, the filed a lawsuit in federal district court against the city of Calhoun and another defendant on behalf of the in, what it calls, an effort to stop PFAS pollution in Northwest Georgia.

"We are one of the most concentrated areas in the country for PFAS," Jesse Demonbreun-Chapman, Executive Director and Riverkeeper for the Coosa River Basin Initiative, told FOX 5 News.

The region is often referred to as the "carpet capital of the world" and is known for its manufacturing industry.

Forever chemical lawsuit in Georgia

In the lawsuit, CRBI alleges Calhoun's wastewater treatment plant pollutes the region by dumping PFAS upstream of a main drinking water intake on the Coosawattee River and through the contamination of groundwater, which can pollute well water.

You can read the complete lawsuit here:

"We have a city that has always had the authority and the requirement under the to stop these contaminants from entering into the public sewage and, as of yet, they are not exercising that authority," Jesse Demonbreun-Chapman, Executive Director and Riverkeeper for the Coosa River Basin Initiative, told FOX 5 News.

According to Demonbreun-Chapman of CRBI, "the manufacturers that are utilizing these chemicals are sending the chemicals into the public sewer to the city of Calhoun to treat. The city of Calhoun's treatment plant does not have the technology to remove these contaminants and so as a result, the sewage sludge, the biosolids that are left over after that treatment process are then contaminated with PFAS. Those have been land applied in multiple locations."

What is Sludge Field 11?

One such location, referred to as "Sludge Field 11," is almost directly across the street from Kit Brooks' home.

"Is that going to become famous? Sludge Field 11? Our beautiful land is going to be Sludge Field 11. That's so sad. We call it Evelyn's Eden after my mother," Kitt Brooks told FOX 5 News.

Brooks has lived on the land for decades, as have many of her family members.

"We're really ground zero," she said.

She was horrified to learn of the contamination and has dedicated nearly all of her time since the discovery to educating and protecting herself and her loved ones.

The longtime Calhoun resident now fears showering in her own home, opting instead for the LA Fitness in Cartersville, and goes through pallets of bottled water.

"There's just this hidden threat that nobody in the public was made aware of by the people that could have told them," Demonbreun-Chapman said.

Calhoun responds to federal lawsuit

The city of Calhoun expressed disappointment with the CRBI's decision to name it as a plaintiff in the federal suit, saying in part, "this is fundamentally counter to CRBI’s stated philosophy that it enforces water claims against polluters. "

According to the statement, the city has "filed cross claims against the polluters" following claims brought by the Moss Land Company, also named as a plaintiff in the federal lawsuit.

FOX 5 News was unable to reach the Moss Land Company for comment.

The full statement from the city of Calhoun reads:

Drinking water accountability

While Calhoun argues the blame lies with the polluters alone, Jesse Demonbreun-Chapman continues to request accountability.

"They need to make these carpet manufacturers take responsibility for these chemicals and treat them before they even enter the public sewer," he said.

Residents like Brooks remain committed to searching for a solution.

(FOX 5)

She hopes her fear of an invisible threat will not force her from the land her family has called home for decades.

Brooks recently met with her doctor to request a blood test to determine if, and if so how much, PFAS is in her blood.

"As to whether I'll even stay here or not, I don't know. I don't know," Brooks solemnly told FOX 5 News.

What are forever chemicals?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), PFAS "are a group of man-made chemicals that includes PFOA, PFOS, GenX, and many other chemicals. Examples of where PFAS can be found include cleaners, textiles, leather, paper and paints, fire-fighting foams, and wire insulation. Certain PFAS can accumulate and stay in the human body for long periods of time. There is evidence that exposure to PFAS can lead to adverse health outcomes in humans."

CALHOUN, Ga. —

Thursday afternoon storms caused some fallen trees and other damages across our viewing area.

In Calhoun, Georgia, the storms caused a wall at the Firehouse Gym to completely collapse.

"At five o'clock today, we were dispatched to a building collapse," says Nathan Saylors, Calhoun Fire Department Training Chief.

Now, all that remain of one of the exterior walls at the gym in Calhoun.

"We arrived on scene, much of the building was evacuated. We got everybody out, made sure that we established a perimeter around the building," says Saylors.

Saylors says people were inside at the time of the collapse, but no injuries were reported.

He also says the cause of the collapse is under investigation.

"What we believe at this time was it was a structural issue with the building. And when the wind and the storm came that structural defect caused the collapse," says Saylors.

Storm Track 9’s Chief Meteorologist David Glenn says the Wind Speeds from the storms were up to around 50 to 60 miles per hour in the Calhoun area.

"These lines of storms we've had for the past couple of days have had a lot of energy, and are capable of producing some strong wind gusts. That's why they've reached severe levels," says Glenn.

And severe damage can be common with these storms.

"If you're between 50 and 60 miles an hour, that could easily cause some structural damage, trees to be down, tree limbs," says Glenn.

We spoke with the owner of Firehouse Gym who says they will try and get the gym back up and running as soon as possible.

The storms caused damage in other parts of our viewing area as well.

In Chattsworth, Georgia Pamela Rackley says a tree fell onto their truck and part of the roof of their home.

Storms caused serious damage to a gas station in Cherokee County, Georgia.

In Spring City, Tennessee, Shirri Pruitt says 4 trees fell on her dad's pool deck, narrowly missing the house.

And Kathleen Meadows sent in photos of downed trees in Dalton, Georgia.

See more storm damage content in our gallery above.

AdventHealth Medical Group is pleased to announce the opening of two new locations in Rome and one location in Calhoun.

Residents of Northwest Georgia can easily access expert heart care provided by AdventHealth Medical Group’s elite cardiology specialists that they know and love.

AdventHealth Medical Group Cardiology welcomes a team of renowned specialists who are leaders in their field of cardiology. Cardiologists joining AdventHealth Medical Group Cardiology at Rome are Charles Jackson, MD; Christopher Merritt, MD, FACC; G. Hunter Myers, MD, FACC; Himanshu Patel, MD; Kipp Slicker, DO, FACC; G. Justin Tanner, MD; and J. Michael Ware, MD, FACC.

Robert Styperek, MD, FHRS, FACC, will be seeing patients at AdventHealth Medical Group Cardiac Electrophysiology at Rome. Dr. Styperek will continue to provide monitoring services for implantable cardiac devices such as pacemakers.

Serving patients at AdventHealth Medical Group Cardiology at Calhoun are Spencer Maddox, MD, and Andrew McCue, MD.

Together, this team of dedicated specialists is committed to providing compassionate and comprehensive care to adult patients. AdventHealth Medical Group Cardiology features state-of-the-art technology and cutting-edge diagnostic tools, partnering with patients on their journey to feel whole.

"We are excited to open our cardiology clinics in Rome and Calhoun to serve patients across Northwest Georgia," said Scott Hill, vice president of physician enterprise for the AdventHealth Georgia Market. "With this group’s expertise and the support of their teams, as well as their longstanding commitment to the communities they serve, we are confident in our ability to deliver exceptional cardiovascular care to our patients."

AdventHealth Medical Group Cardiology is now accepting new patients, and appointments can be scheduled by calling 706-237-9451 for Rome patients or 706-625-6690 for Calhoun patients. Find out more about cardiology services by visiting our website at GeorgiaHeartExperts.com.

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