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Dalton couple fret over high concentration of ‘forever chemicals’ in creek

Staff photo by Abby White / Amber and LeRoy Fletcher speak about the pollution on their property at a news conference Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. Members of a team investigating PFAS contamination in Northwest Georgia have been conducting tests across the region to document the extent of contamination.
Staff photo by Abby White / Amber and LeRoy Fletcher speak about the pollution on their property at a news conference Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. Members of a team investigating PFAS contamination in Northwest Georgia have been conducting tests across the region to document the extent of contamination. Staff photo by Abby White / Amber and LeRoy Fletcher speak about the pollution on their property at a news conference Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. Members of a team investigating PFAS contamination in Northwest Georgia have been conducting tests across the region to document the extent of contamination.

By David Floyd 5 min read

Amber and LeRoy Fletcher have six children who used to swim in the shallow creek that meanders behind their house in Dalton.

After water testing found high concentrations of so-called “forever chemicals,” the Fletchers no longer allow their kids to go near the waterway. Their roughly 5-acre property off South Riverbend Road has been their home for nearly 14 years.

“We’re just devastated to know that this thing is contaminated,” LeRoy Fletcher said in an interview with local news outlets Tuesday.

The Fletchers’ creek is one of many sites tested by a legal team that includes attorney Ben Finley, water scientist Bob Bowcock and environmental activist Erin Brockovich.

“PFAS is a scary scenario,” Brockovich said during a news conference. “It’s playing itself out here, and it’s going to play itself out through the entire United States of America.”