Reps. Schofield, Scott and Davis Urge Legislative Action Following ‘Forever Chemicals’ Detected in Georgia Waterways

ATLANTA - State Representatives Kim Schofield (D-Atlanta), Sandra Scott (D-Rex) and Viola Davis (D-Stone Mountain) urge legislative action following a report by The Environment Georgia Research & Policy Center detecting per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly called "forever chemicals," at all 20 Georgia waterway testing locations examined.

"Twenty locations tested," said Rep. Schofield. "Twenty locations with PFAS detected. How much more evidence does Georgia need before we take this seriously? Our communities cannot afford to wait for a public health crisis before we act. Safe water is not a privilege; it is a fundamental necessity."

The findings include 11 PFAS compounds across four Chattahoochee River sites. The river is a drinking-water source for metro Atlanta. These representatives emphasize that the findings underscore the need for prevention, monitoring, public reporting and accountability.

These lawmakers introduced House Bill 803, the Safer States Act, during the 2023 legislative session. HB 803 did not advance out of committee, and these representatives reintroduced the Safer States Act as House Bill 9 during the 2025 legislative session. This legislation sought to restrict certain chemical flame retardants in bedding, carpeting, children's products, upholstered furniture and window treatments. These representatives are now seeking complementary PFAS-specific safeguards for Georgia waterways and drinking-water sources.

"Parents should not have to wonder whether the water their children drink or the environment in which they grow up exposes them to harmful chemicals," said Rep. Scott. "We cannot continue to place the burden of contamination on working families and taxpayers. Our legislative efforts have always focused on prevention, transparency and protecting the next generation. Georgia must do better."

"We cannot protect public health without first knowing what chemicals are entering our waterways and where they are coming from," said Rep. Davis. "Transparency is the foundation of accountability. We must require meaningful disclosure, reliable monitoring and public reporting so that communities can make informed decisions."

The lawmakers also note that they seek closer scrutiny of industrial wastewater and potential PFAS risks associated with certain data-center cooling technologies. They emphasize that the recent waterway testing has not identified data centers as the source of the detected contamination.

"Georgia cannot celebrate economic growth while ignoring the environmental responsibilities that come with it," added Rep. Schofield. "Transparency and accountability must be part of doing business in Georgia."

These representatives are calling for renewed consideration of the Safer States Act and a statewide PFAS protection framework that would: expand testing, monitoring and public reporting for waterways and drinking-water sources; require applicable industrial facilities to disclose PFAS use and discharges; strengthen industrial wastewater oversight, including assessment of potential data-center risks; improve pollution prevention, enforcement, remediation and accountability for responsible parties and include underserved, rural and medically vulnerable communities in monitoring and public-health protections.

These representatives note that they also want residents to receive clear, accessible information about testing results, potential exposure and government actions to address contamination in their communities. The lawmakers stress that detections at selected surface-water locations do not, by themselves, establish that all treated drinking water in Georgia is unsafe. They call for identifying pollution sources, assessing exposure risks and preventing further contamination.

"This is not a Republican issue or a Democratic issue, concluded Rep. Schofield. "Our water does not recognize political boundaries, and neither should our commitment to protecting it. The Georgia General Assembly has another opportunity to demonstrate leadership. We are asking our colleagues to work with us to move meaningful legislation forward."

*Editor's note: these representatives include a graphic.

Representative Kim Schofield represents the citizens of District 63, which includes a portion of Fulton County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2017 and currently serves as the Secretary of the Urban Affairs Committee. She also serves on the Creative Arts & Entertainment, Health, Industry and Labor and Small Business Development committees.

Representative Sandra Scott represents the citizens of District 76, which includes a portion of Clayton County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2010 and currently serves on the Banks & Banking, Defense & Veterans Affairs, Human Relations & Aging, Insurance and Reapportionment and Redistricting committees.

Representative Viola Davis represents the citizens of District 87, which includes a portion of DeKalb County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 and currently serves on the Defense & Veterans Affairs, Health, Insurance, Natural Resources & Environment and Urban Affairs committees.

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