A bill filed by four Georgia Senators seeks to eliminate the ability of a local government to pursue legal action against manufacturing companies that knowingly contaminate the environment with forever chemicals.
Senate Bill 577, donned the “Coordinated PFAS Remediation Act,” would create a statewide system for handling legal claims related to PFAS contamination in Georgia. The legislation, lawmakers say, comes as a response to the multiple lawsuits filed by cities and counties across the state.
PFAS, best known as industrial compounds or ‘forever chemicals,’ pose risks to public health and drinking water systems and can be extremely costly to remove. They’re often found in water and soil.
But state lawmakers say the suits could “drain resources and lead to inconsistent outcomes,” which is why they want to give authority to the state in an effort to “coordinate litigation and remediation efforts.”
Currently, the measure is sponsored by Senators Sam Watson, Bill Cowsert, Chuck Payne, and Lee Anderson. All four are Republicans.
Under the bill, beginning July 1, 2026, all PFAS-related claims by state or local governments would be reserved exclusively to the state and pursued through the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) of the Department of Natural Resources. Local governments would no longer be allowed to independently file or maintain lawsuits over PFAS contamination, and existing local cases would be paused so the state can step in and take over if it chooses. The law does not affect lawsuits brought by private individuals or businesses for personal injury, wrongful death, or private property damage.
The EPD would have authority to file lawsuits, negotiate settlements, pursue judgments, and even bring coordinated class actions covering multiple jurisdictions. The Georgia Attorney General would provide legal representation and could hire outside counsel, with annual disclosure requirements regarding legal contracts and fees. While the state controls litigation, the bill would require local governments to be consulted and they would also be required to cooperate in cases involving their facilities or water systems.
Any money recovered through PFAS lawsuits or settlements would be paid to the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, which would manage the funds in dedicated accounts. The money could be used to cover litigation costs and then directed toward water system improvements, remediation efforts, and other projects addressing PFAS contamination statewide, but there are no requirements.
According to WRDW, the bill would impact suits that are already pending, not just those that would be filed if the bill is signed into law. Currently, local governments are pursuing legal action again a number of chemical manufacturers and carpet makers over allegations that they “treated their products in vats containing PFAS chemicals, generating toxic sludge and wastewater that was disposed of in landfills and municipal wastewater systems. The complaints claim manufacturers knowingly hid the dangers of PFAS for decades.”
Among the local governments are Catoosa, Chattooga, Dougherty, Gordon, Murray, and Walker counties and the cities of Blakely, Cartersville, Chatsworth, Meigs and Pelham.
The bill has been assigned to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and the Environment.
