Atlanta loses drinking water source in “water wars”

On July 17, a district court judge issued a ruling in the tri-state “water wars” litigation denying metro Atlanta access to water stored at Lake Lanier. The state has been given three years to try to get Congress to revise its authorized purposes for Buford Dam.

As populations rise and climate change intensifies droughts, our water resources will only become more strained and critical. Environment Georgia is working to promote a new approach that calls for aggressive water efficiency first and foremost.

Research shows that total water saved through efficiency measures could equal the equivalent of another Lake Lanier. We’ll continue working for a solution that protects the health of the entire Apalachicola Chattahoochee-Flint Basin.

Dirty energy proposals still on the table

Environment Georgia worked to promote more efficient energy use and renewable power in Georgia while working to stop two new coal-fired power plants that have been proposed in Early and Washington counties.

If built, they would be the first plants built in nearly a quarter of a century—unnecessary for a state that could tap into huge energy savings from aggressive energy efficiency policies.

Roughly half of the utilities that would be involved in building the Washington County coal plant recently announced their intent to pull out of the plants’ ownership group. Greystone Electric Municipal Utility President Gary Miller explained, “Owning a coal plant at this point is more risk than we want to take…”

Despite this setback, the plant received draft pollution permits from EPD late in the summer. Visit our Web site to learn more and to send comments about the permits.