Advocacy Archives - Page 2 of 5 - Coosa River Basin Initiative

Trust Fund Honesty Heads to a Ballot Near You!

March 9, 2020

Watch as the Georgia Senate unanimously approves HR 164 – a constitutional amendment that will allow the General Assembly to dedicate environmental trust funds. The House of Representatives passed the measure last week. These funds, created in the mid-90s, are intended to pay for the cleanup of illegal tire dumps and hazardous waste sites. Unfortunately, lawmakers have raided these funds for years to pay for other parts of the budget, to the tune of more than $200 million. Next up,…

Ban the Bag in Georgia

February 24, 2020

Advocacy, Blog Posts, Education

Senate Bill 280 would prohibit the distribution of single-use plastic bags by retail stores, with some exemptions (bags used for bulk foods, produce, newspaper, garments, dog waste, meat, etc.). The proposed bill could mean Georgia would be joining the ranks of eight other states across the country that have already banned the bags. It is not uncommon to see plastic bags on the side of the road or in our rivers. Jesse Demonbreun-Chapman, Riverkeeper and Executive Director of CRBI, believes…

2020 Legislative Tracker

February 13, 2020

Advocacy, Blog Posts

Georgia’s 2020 legislative session is in full swing and we want to keep you in the know on CRBI’s legislative priorities. You can keep up with the following bills as well as new legislation being introduced by following along with the bill tracker. HB 545: Attack On Rural Property Rights Position: Strongly OPPOSE If the lot next to your property was bought up with plans to be turned into a large scale, industrial chicken farm, would you want some say…

New Evidence Confirms Georgia Power Coal Ash Pits Slated for Cap in Place Submerged in Groundwater

August 8, 2019

Advocacy, Plant Hammond, Press Releases

These ponds collectively contain tens of millions of tons of coal ash – a byproduct of burning coal to generate electricity. Coal ash is loaded with a large number of toxins, carcinogens, and heavy metals that can migrate out of these ponds when exposed to water. “Georgia Power has already shown that excavation and removal is appropriate and feasible, including a recent decision to excavate additional sites that are substantially larger than any of these ponds in question,” said Jesse Demonbreun-Chapman,…

2019 Triennial Review

March 1, 2019

Advocacy

The Environmental Protection Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources recently conducted the opening hearing of the 2019 Triennial Review. This occurs every three years and provides an opportunity for the EPD to reevaluate the designated usage of water bodies. The designation of a body of water is based on primary usage and directly correlates to water quality standards. In other words, the designated use determines the stringent nature of permits and fines for pollution. The three most common…

The Replacement Rule threatens Clean Water

February 18, 2019

Advocacy, Education

For 50 years, the Clean Water Act has protected families and communities by preventing unchecked and unlimited pollution from contaminating our waterways and drinking water sources. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is now proposing a new rule, the Replacement rule that would dramatically shrink the protections of the Clean Water Act. In 2015, the Clean Water rule was added as an amendment to the 1972 Clean Water Act to extend protection to small streams, wetlands, stream headwaters, and waters that…