![]() ![]() The Waterkeeper Alliance’s survey discovered PFAS chemicals in 10 other Georgia waterways. “And then once they’re out there, they make their ways in our body, whether we eat fish or not.” “We put these chemicals out in the environment, not really understanding their impacts on on the ecology of our systems, but also their impact on human health,” Mullis said. A few months later, the company announced it was removing PFAS from all of its products.īut Mullis said the damage was done, and even people who don’t eat freshwater fish should be concerned. The Ogeechee Riverkeeper fought against it, seeking PFAS limits and more monitoring. When the Ogeechee Riverkeeper discovered the plant discharging PFAS chemicals into the river more than three years ago, its renewal permit requested lower standards for the toxin. ![]() In 2011, more than 30,000 fish died from contamination linked to a now-closed textile plant accused of discharging contaminated water upstream, one of the largest fish kills in the state’s history. The river has been plagued with contamination for years. ![]() Last year, a study by the Waterkeeper Alliance discovered elevated levels of the chemical in the Ogeechee River, which flows 245 miles from the Piedmont region of the state, through Savannah and to the coast. “The longer an animal has lived, and the higher up in the food chain, generally the more contaminated they are going to be with PFAS,” said Mullis, executive director of the Ogeechee Riverkeeper, an environmental watchdog group. The bigger the fish, the better for testing. The plan isn’t to eat the fish, but to test them for a cancer-causing toxin called Perfluoroalkyl, or PFAS for short, used by manufacturers for decades to make products water and oil resistant, like non-stick cook wear, stain-resistant carpet and food packages. Savannah, Georgia ( WANF) - This summer, Damon Mullis plans to cruise up and down the Ogeechee River on his 10-foot aluminum Jon boat in search of fish deep below. ![]()
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