Project: The Nathan Deal Judicial Center Architect: RAMSA Location: Atlanta, GA.

Georgia bill would give attorney general sole authority over PFAS lawsuits

A bill introduced in the Georgia Senate would give the state attorney general sole authority to file pollution lawsuits over PFAS contamination, preventing cities and counties from pursuing or maintaining their own cases.

Senate Bill 577, sponsored by Sen. Sam Watson, R-Moultrie, and four other Republicans, would centralize legal action against chemical manufacturers and carpet companies accused of contaminating water systems with PFAS or “forever chemicals” that do not naturally break down.

Attorneys representing local governments warn the measure could derail ongoing litigation. Nick Jackson of The Finley Law Firm, which represents multiple Georgia municipalities and counties, said the proposal could effectively end local efforts to recover cleanup costs.

PFAS have been linked to cancer, organ damage and weakened immune systems. Lawsuits allege manufacturers used PFAS in carpet production, generating contaminated sludge and wastewater that entered landfills and municipal treatment facilities. Some complaints cite contamination levels hundreds of thousands and even millions of times above federal standards in communities including Cartersville and Chatsworth.

The firm represents at least 11 Georgia local governments in pending cases against companies such as 3M, DuPont, Mohawk and Shaw. Jackson said the legislation could especially affect Dalton, where cleanup of a large contaminated site is estimated at $1 billion.

The bill would take effect July 1, 2026. A Senate committee hearing is scheduled for March 2.