The Finley Law Firm — which represents Chattooga County in PFAS-related litigation — is warning that a proposed bill in the Georgia Senate could effectively end the county’s case and shut down similar lawsuits filed by local governments across the state seeking cleanup costs for “forever chemical” contamination.

Senate Bill 577, sponsored by State Sen. Sam Watson of Moultrie and four other Republican senators, would give the Georgia Attorney General exclusive authority to bring certain pollution lawsuits against carpet manufacturers and chemical makers over PFAS contamination. The bill would also bar counties and cities from filing new cases or continuing existing ones.

“It is arguably the most dangerous bill yet,” said Nick Jackson, an attorney with The Finley Law Firm. “This bill would be lethal to every single case brought by a municipality or county to clean up PFAS for their citizens.”

PFAS — often called “forever chemicals” because they do not break down naturally — have been found in water supplies and wastewater systems across Georgia. Research has linked PFAS exposure to serious health concerns, including certain cancers and immune system impacts.

The Finley Law Firm represents at least 11 Georgia government entities in pending PFAS-related litigation. Those include Chattooga, Murray, Catoosa, Gordon, Walker, and Dougherty counties, as well as several municipal governments across the state.

The lawsuits name major chemical manufacturers and carpet makers — including 3M, Shaw, Mohawk, DuPont, Chemours and others — alleging PFAS used in manufacturing created contaminated sludge and wastewater that entered landfills and municipal systems, while the dangers were allegedly downplayed for decades.

The Senate Natural Resources and the Environment Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on Senate Bill 577 today, Monday, March 2, at 10:00 a.m.