Stopping clean water rollbacks
The state requires natural vegetative buffers of 150 feet along our rivers upstream of drinking water reservoirs in order to protect clean water. Buffers are one of the most effective and least expensive ways to filter oil, gas, dirt and other runoff pollution before it reaches our waterways.

• We oppose loopholes in clean water law that allow homes to be built in the stream buffer and local governments to adopt unproven alternatives to stream buffers.

Protecting our coasts
On Georgia’s coast alone, at least $1 billion a year in tourism and nature-based business directly depends on a healthy shoreline and productive fish habitat. These areas are vulnerable to the harmful effects of coastal drilling.

• We oppose opening up protected coastal areas for oil and gas drilling.

Safeguarding drinking water (MTBE)
MTBE is a gasoline additive designed to make fuel burn cleaner, but it has left a legacy of contaminated groundwater. Major gasoline pipelines carry gas with MTBE across our state. Traces of MTBE often remain in underground storage tanks, putting our groundwater at risk of contamination.

• We support phasing out the production, storage and use of MTBE, adding Georgia to the list of more than 20 states to ban the chemical.

Protecting against toxic chemicals
Cars on the road in Georgia today contain at least 600 pounds of toxic mercury in small switches that help turn on and off the lights in our vehicles. Mercury has been linked to neurological and developmental problems.

• We support requiring automakers to pay for the removal of mercury switches from cars before they are demolished and recycled for steel, so they won’t poison Georgia waters.

Reducing energy use
Since the majority of our energy comes from dirty coal-burning power plants, wasting energy leads to more air and water pollution. To protect our environment, we need to invest in energy-saving technologies.

• We support renewing the Energy Star Tax Holiday to make it easier to purchase energy-efficient appliances, like clothes dryers and refrigerators.