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| Atlanta, GA—By a vote of 166 to 5 the Georgia House of Representatives passed HB 1094, legislation to encourage, and in some cases enforce, energy efficiency in Georgia. Identical legislation (SB 209) had passed the Senate unanimously earlier in the week. | |
| Environment Georgia’s quick analysis finds things to applaud and much that needs improvement | |
| Environment Georgia Applauds Emphasis on Clean, Renewable Energy | |
| Today, by a vote of 103 to 57, the state House of Representatives defeated a resolution that would have encouraged drilling off the coast of Georgia, HR 1016. The resolution urged the Mineral Management Service (MMS) to issue a new plan (usually referred to as a five-year plan) that included oil and gas leases in Georgia’s outer continental shelf. | |
| Environment Georgia urges state leaders to include commonsense and cost-effective solutions like conservation in the details of the “Reservoir Development and Drought Relief Act,†as well as safeguards for downstream communities. | |
| From drooping trees and dry stream beds this drought has hit Georgia’s environment and wildlife hard. Gov. Perdue’s announcement of a 10% cut in water permits means our businesses and our industry will feel a pinch as well. | |
| Atlanta, GA— More than 66% percent of industrial and municipal facilities across Georgia discharged more pollution into our waterways than their Clean Water Act permits allow in 2005, according to Troubled Waters: An analysis of Clean Water Act compliance, a new report released today by Environment Georgia. | |
| The Conasauga River would receive the status of ‘Outstanding National Resource Water’ (ONRW), the highest level of protection identified in the Clean Water Act, if a recent petition filed by Environment Georgia and the Southern Environmental Law Center is enacted. If successful, the group’s efforts would make the Conasauga River Georgia’s first ONRW. Currently, Georgia is the only southeastern state, besides Mississippi, with no ONRW waterways. | |
| Given the public health and environmental threats posed by mercury pollution from Georgia’s coal-fired power plants, the weakening of the Clean Air Act’s federal mercury pollution reduction requirements, and the availability of mercury pollution control technologies, Environment Georgia appreciates EPD’s state-level efforts to draft a rule that will cut mercury pollution from Georgia’s coal-fired power plants. Unfortunately, serious loop holes and flaws continue to exist in the proposed rule and we urge the state to address these concerns as they move forward in implementing this much-needed proposal. | |
| Environment Georgia is firmly opposed to proposals by President Bush, Senator McCain and Congressman Peterson to continue decades of failed energy policy by opening our protected coasts to offshore drilling. Drilling in these protected areas is not the solution to high oil prices, we need to reduce our dependence on oil. Instead of opening every last corner of our country to oil drilling, we need to produce cars that go further on a gallon of gasoline, invest in mass transit and other alternatives to driving, and develop clean renewable energy. | |
