Wednesday, February 12, 2025–12:40 p.m.

-Calhoun Times-

This story is possible because of a news-sharing agreement with the Rome News-Tribune. More information can be found at northwestgeorgianews.com

Calhoun State Rep. Matt Barton has sponsored a bill that would protect manufacturing companies from lawsuits concerning the spread of the PFAS family of chemicals.

Georgia House Bill 211, known as the “PFAS Receiver Shield Act,” aims to amend a section of state code to “provide for immunity from certain lawsuits” related to substances commonly known as forever chemicals. 

Rep. Jason Ridley of Chatsworth is also a co-sponsor on the bill, along with Chickamauga’s Steve Tarvin, Dalton’s Kasey Carpenter, and Rossville’s Mike Cameron. 

Since early 2024, a host of Northwest Georgia landowners, municipalities, end-user corporations, and major chemical companies have engaged in a near-constant litany of litigation over PFAS chemicals in found in the environment and human blood samples — especially in Gordon, Floyd, Whitfield, and Murray counties. 

In part, the bill — in its current form — denotes “PFAS” means “any perfluorochemicals, polyfluorochemicals, perfluoroalkyl substances, polyfluoroalkyl substances, and any related chemicals that degrade to PFAS/PFOA/PFOS.” 

In the bill, “PFAS receiver” refers to any person or entity, not including any person or entity that is also a PFAS manufacturer, who:

• Uses or applies PFAS substances in the manufacture of goods or in agriculture
• Receives or obtains goods or products that contain PFAS
• Purchases or owns goods or products that contain PFAS
• Receives industrial or household waste that contains PFAS

Meanwhile, “PFAS manufacturer” refers to “any person or entity that knowingly created, formulated, licensed, made, manufactured, or otherwise originated into commerce any PFAS substance and who has sold or licensed any PFAS substance to others for use.”

Granting certain immunities, the bill states that no PFAS receiver “shall be held liable for damages in an action involving a liability claim arising from or related to their intended or incidental use, receipt, or disposal of PFAS.”

Immunities set by the law will not, however, apply to claims brought by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division and its enforcement of PFAS-specific regulations arising on or after Jan. 1, 2024.

As of Feb. 4, the bill had seen a first and second reading on the house floor in Atlanta.