Update on Shaw Industries PFAS Lawsuit

In 2024, after several rounds of sampling and investigation, Congaree Riverkeeper filed a Clean Water Act lawsuit against Shaw Industries over discharges of PFAS "forever chemicals" into the Lower Saluda River from their plant in the Irmo area. Since that lawsuit was filed, there have been some significant updates that we can now share. 

Earlier this month the Post and Courier, working with PBS Frontline, AP, and others, ran an in-depth story on Congaree Riverkeeper's PFAS investigation work, the lawsuit with Shaw, and the steps that have been taken to address the issue. 

After we filed our lawsuit Shaw confirmed they had a PFAS problem at their site and we began working collaboratively to try and find solutions. Since then we agreed to pause the lawsuit while Shaw installed a treatment system that should remove most of the PFAS from their wastewater discharge and began work developing a long-term cleanup plan for their site. While we’re not at the finish line yet, we are pleased with the effort Shaw has made and we hope this can be a template for how to address industrial PFAS issues that are impacting so many communities.

You can read the Post and Courier article on the Frontline website here: How a SC Riverkeeper’s Detective Work Reveals a Deeper Tale About the Carpet Industry’s PFAS Legacy