This week, the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) issued a public health advisory for the Town of Centre Water Works and Sewer Board stating in part, “The health department, in coordination with ADEM [Alabama Department of Environmental Management], continues monitoring the situation and providing information regarding the EPA health advisory and recent reported levels.” The State Toxicologist has reminded affected consumers that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advisory suggests that sensitive populations such as pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and formula-fed infants served by the identified water system consider using alternate sources of drinking water.
The public health advisory validates a lawsuit filed by the Water Works and Sewer Board of the Town of Centre this month against carpet and textile companies, manufacturers and chemical suppliers of PFCs, holding them responsible for polluting the city’s water supply. The lawsuit alleges the defendants are responsible for putting PFOS and PFOA into the raw water supply upstream of Centre Water’s intake site, in or near the City of Dalton, Georgia. Beasley Allen lawyers Jere Beasley, and Rhon Jones, together with Roger H. Bedford of Roger Bedford & Associates in Russellville, Alabama, are representing the Town of Centre.
“Safe drinking water is of vital importance to every community,” Jones said. “The Town of Centre has already undertaken expenses that it shouldn’t have to bear in order to try and clean up these PFCs. The Town will also continue to face the challenge or monitoring, blending and ultimately filtering the water as a result of the pollution resulting from these chemicals being dumped in its water supply.”
Jones also said, “The Water Works and Sewer Board of the Town of Centre is taking the appropriate actions to insure the safety of the water in its system.”
The complaint has been filed in the Circuit Court of Cherokee County, Alabama.
Related News
(Chattanooga) Times Free Press – Second Alabama city sues North Georgia carpet manufacturers, claims water contamination
AL.com – Another Alabama city’s water is the subject of a lawsuit
Bloomberg BNA – 3M, Carpet Industry Face Growing Alabama Water Suits
The Gadsden Times – Centre Water Works calls alleged polluters on the carpet
