Inside the toxic legacy of Georgia's multibillion-dollar carpet empire

A power plant at Shaw Industries Plant No. 81 in Dalton, Georgia, on June 29, 2005. (AP Photo/Ric Feld)

DALTON, Ga. (AP) — Bob Shaw glared at the executives from the chemical giant 3M across the table from him. He held up a carpet sample and pointed at the logo for Scotchgard on the back.

“That’s not a logo,” fumed Shaw, CEO of the world’s largest carpet company, one attendee later recalled. “That’s a target.”

Weeks earlier, 3M Company announced it would reformulate its signature stain-resistance brand under pressure from the Environmental Protection Agency because of human health and environmental concerns.