A few weeks ago, I read a story about poisoned rivers in northwest Georgia.

For decades, the region’s carpet industry used PFAS, “forever chemicals” associated with cancer and other illnesses, in stain-resistant carpeting. The chemicals entered wastewater systems, rivers, fish, soil, and eventually drinking water. Scientists warned about the risks. State regulators knew contamination existed. Alabama officials downstream pleaded for cooperation. Meetings were held. Reports were written. Jurisdictional arguments unfolded. Meanwhile, families continued drinking the water.

What struck me most about the story was not that there was a singular villain.

There was no obvious cinematic antagonist. No smoking cigar executive gleefully poisoning children. Instead there were regulators, corporations, utilities, scientists, legislators, federal agencies, state agencies, lawyers, and local economies all interacting within systems too fragmented, too deferred, and too normalized to respond with moral urgency.

Everyone could partially justify themselves.

The companies followed existing rules. Regulators claimed they lacked authority or sufficient scientific certainty. Politicians balanced environmental concerns against economic dependence. Utilities pointed toward upstream actors. Chemical suppliers blamed manufacturers. Manufacturers blamed chemical suppliers.

And while responsibility dissolved into process, people drank poisoned water for decades.

One woman quoted in the investigation simply said: “There’s a lot of us and we’re sick.”

That line stayed with........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)