Two Northwest Georgia events on the risks posed by "forever chemicals" will feature famed environmental activist Erin Brockovich.

Known for her involvement in a lawsuit against a California utility company — a legal battle later adapted into an Oscar-winning movie — Brockovich will join Georgia attorney Ben Finley at a pair of town halls Friday and Saturday in Chatsworth and Calhoun. The events will focus on the dangers of PFAS, a group of chemicals used for decades in industrial and consumer products.

"Erin Brockovich could be anywhere in the world, and she's contacted all the time by folks throughout the country and outside the country to help in various communities," Finley said in a phone call. "She is dedicating herself to the entire northwest part of our state, which is a wonderful thing."

(READ MORE: Report: 'Forever chemicals' in northeast Tennessee pose long-term risk to region's drinking water)

In a news release, Brockovich said she's spent her life holding corporations accountable and ensuring people have access to clean and safe drinking water.

If you go

— When: 6 p.m. Friday at The Venue at Cottonwood Farm, 350 Crisp Road, Chatsworth, Ga.

— When: 10 a.m. Saturday, The Spot 365, 365 S. Industrial Blvd., Calhoun, Ga.

"These are man-made and preventable disasters that never should've happened," Brockovich said. "The toxic PFAS contamination around Dalton is some of the worst I've seen in my career."

Research is ongoing, but studies show exposure to PFAS can reduce the body's ability to fight infections, increase cholesterol levels, decrease fertility and increase the risk of some cancers, including prostate, kidney and testicular cancers, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The chemicals can appear in drinking water, food, shampoo, fire extinguisher foam and more.

An acronym for "per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances," PFAS can take a long time to break down, and surveys by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show most people in the country have been exposed to them.

Earlier this year, chemical manufacturer 3M agreed to make up to $12.5 billion in payments to public drinking water systems as part of a court settlement, according to The Associated Press. The payouts will continue through 2036 and will cover the costs of filtering PFAS from water systems. Some of the settlement money will help additional water systems test for contamination.

Finley, who has been practicing law in Georgia for 33 years, said his team was contacted by people in Northwest Georgia about issues with PFAS. His team will provide free water testing to residents to assess if chemicals produced by 3M have caused them personal or property damage. They've recruited expert Bob Bowcock to assist with water testing and analysis.

"I decided to put together the best team that I could of the most recognized lawyers in the space on the national level who would have the wherewithal and resources to take on a Fortune 500 company like 3M," Finley said.

For decades, 3M and other large chemical manufacturers sold PFAS compounds designed to improve the performance of consumer products like carpets, cookware and clothing, according to a website set up by Finley's team. Carpet manufacturers in Northwest Georgia purchased PFAS from 3M and other large chemical manufacturers "by the rail car." Those manufacturers discharged millions of gallons of PFAS into the waste stream through factory sewer drains.

Local water treatment plants received the contaminated water, which was discharged into the region's watershed during the treatment process. Residual biosolids were shipped out as fertilizer and spread across Northwest Georgia counties.

"Every single landowner — businesses and folks in the community — have been impacted by this," Finley said. "If we don't remedy this, it's just going to continue on and continue to grow in a significant way. That's where children get exposed to it — drinking water at the house. Dad's out watering the lawn. Mom's making coffee in the morning. That water ... is a result of 3M putting corporate greed and profit over human lives and safety."

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Citing verses in the Bible, Finley said people should strive to leave a healthy planet to their children and grandchildren.

"We're supposed to take care of the planet Earth and this great gift that God gave us," he said. "We're all just passing through, and none of us know how much time we've got, but it's critically important that we protect the environment."

Asked for comment, Allie Fjelstad, a spokesperson for 3M, said in an email the company "will not speculate about the intention of this event."

What are PFAS?

Keenan Dungey, head of the chemistry and physics department at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, said the chemical composition of PFAS can make cookware, carpets and clothes resistant to stains. Materials containing PFAS are also resistant to heat, making them effective for fighting large fires at military bases or airports.

The chemical bond in PFAS is also unusual, Dungey said. It doesn't commonly appear in nature, meaning there's not a natural way for these molecules to be broken down into nonharmful components.

(READ MORE: EPA action boosts grassroots momentum to reduce toxic 'forever chemicals' in Chattanooga area, elsewhere)

"Since it stays in the environment so long, then the more we use it, the more we pollute with it, the more it builds up in the soil, in the plants and the animals, and then in us," Dungey said in a video interview. "If we were to take a sample of your blood and analyze it, it probably would have PFAS."

The chemical industry has been conducting a giant experiment on humanity for almost a century, Dungey said.

"We've been making these synthetic chemicals, and no matter how careful you are, there's leaks, right?" Dungey said. "They get in the environment, and we don't know what the result is going to be — what's the effect on the environmental health and human health? Now, we're starting to play catch-up."

This year, the Biden administration issued the first-ever national drinking water standard for PFAS. The EPA also announced $1 billion in funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help states and territories conduct PFAS testing and treatment at public water systems. It will also help owners of private wells address PFAS contamination.

Dalton Utilities has received $1.5 million from the federal government for a pilot program to test methods for removing PFAS.

Dungey said it's a good idea for people to have their water tested, but he noted the typical water treatment process does not remove PFAS.

"There are filters," he said. "There are ways to remove it, but it's very expensive."

Contact David Floyd at dfloyd@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.