GA TU and our partners in the Georgia Water Coalition (GWC) were successful in stopping HB 131 from passing the House before Crossover Day. This bill was intended to give the Georgia Department of Transportation and its private contractors an exemption for stream buffer requirements and fines, but with your help, we were able to defeat this bill. Thank you! We understand, however, that the special interests groups supporting of this rollback measure are now planning to amend another bill already in the Senate with the provisions from HB 131. Please contact the members of the Senate Transportation Committee as soon as possible to urge them to oppose this harmful policy.
A copy of GA TU’s email to the Senate Transportation Committee is enclosed.
Regards,
| Kevin F McGrath Chairman, Back-the-Brookie Georgia Trout Unlimited (H) 770-587-162 (W) 404-760-3145 (M) 404-668-5835 |
Chairman Mullis and members of the Senate Transportation Committee:
Georgia Trout Unlimited has received an indication that advocates for HB 131 have an interest in amending its language to HB 137 in your committee.
We strongly oppose
HB 131 and ask that you vote NO on action amend HB 131’s language to any bill.
· HB 131 was not voted on by the House before crossover day. The bill had been amended numerous times before passing out of committee, being recommitted back to Transportation by Rules and amended again before a favorable committee report. It is a troubled bill whose original intent was to exempt the Department of Transportation, the Georgia Highway Authority and the State Road and Tollway Authority from stream buffer requirements and fines.
· As amended, it creates a separate enforcement process for the citizens of Georgia and state agencies – a double standard. State agencies would be exempt from penalties for 30 days while private citizens and business subject immediately. State agencies and their subcontractors would be subject to a special, reduced fine of only $5,000 per day while private citizens and business would be subject to a $50,000 per day fine for the same violations.
· It impinges on GA EPD’s enforcement capabilities opening the door for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take over enforcement of the Clean Water Act in Georgia. If GA EPD loses its authorization to enforce the Clean Water Act, all permittees – both public and private, would be regulated by EPA and any fines would be paid to the U.S. Treasury instead of Georgia.
· HB 131 is opposed by EPD Director Allen Barnes.
We agree, however, with GA EPD Director’s support for Section 2 of the HB 131 concerning mediation by the Erosion and Sediment Control Overview Council and request that a conservation member specifically be named to the council.
Georgia’s stream buffer laws and fines are a deterrent against sedimentation. Sedimentation is the number one cause of water pollution in Georgia and the number one complaint GA EPD receives from citizens. It costs tax dollars to filter for drinking water, clean out of sewers and off streets, and to dredge out of lakes and ponds. Flooding is exacerbated by sedimentation. Downstream properties are aesthetically damaged and property values are reduced by sedimentation. Pesticides, oil, grease and other pollutants are carried by sediment. Sediment degrades aquatic habitat by covering spawning beds and increases water temperatures by making steams shallower and acting as a heat sink. Georgia’s waters must be kept free of siltation from road construction and other state agency projects.
A copy of this email is sent to Georgia Trout Unlimited’s Executive Committee and the Presidents of Georgia’s thirteen Trout Unlimited Chapters comprising over three thousand eight hundred members. Our mission is to conserve, protect and restore Georgia’s cold water fisheries and their watersheds.
Thank you in advance for your consideration.
Regards,
| Kevin F McGrath Chairman, Back-the-Brookie Georgia Trout Unlimited (H) 770-587-162 (W) 404-760-3145 (M) 404-668-5835 |
No comments:
Post a Comment