DALTON — One of Cynthia Martin’s big dreams has been to raise pygmy goats, and her husband, Bob, has always wanted to be a beekeeper, she said.
As they prepared for retirement, the Martins purchased 3.5 acres in Tunnel Hill a few years ago, and they initially thought those aspirations could soon become reality.
Maybe they’d also throw in a koi pond, some farm animals and teach students at local schools how to raise their own food. Cynthia Martin said there’s even a beautiful, babbling creek that runs through the property. But she now fears the land — and the creek — aren’t as bucolic as they first appeared.
“If you stick your feet in there, you’re literally sticking them into a stew of chemical nightmare,” she said in an interview.
The Martins were among a few dozen people who attended a town hall Saturday morning in Dalton about PFAS, an acronym for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Also called “forever chemicals,” PFAS have been used for decades because of their stain- and heat-resistant properties, appearing in commercial products like firefighting foam, fast food wrappers, carpets and more.