Blog Posts Archives - Coosa River Basin Initiative

State Level Regulations Will Impact PFAS Usage

February 24, 2023

In the summer of 2022 the EPA released new health advisories (HAs) for a chemical group known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). These chemicals are widespread in the environment since they have been commonly used in manufacturing since the 1940s. They are used in the production of everyday items particularly carpet and textiles, non-stick cookware, food packaging, firefighting foam, aerospace, automotive production, construction materials, and electronics. The health advisory comes after mounting scientific evidence is proving that PFAS…

EPA Releases New Health Advisories for PFAS in Drinking Water. What Does it Mean for Your Health?

June 29, 2022

Blog Posts, Water Monitoring

On June 15th, 2022 the EPA released new health advisories (HAs) for a chemical group known as PFAS. The EPA’s health advisories are used by municipalities as guidelines for how to keep our drinking water safe and free from harmful chemicals and contaminants. Using the most current scientific evidence, they make recommendations for the best ways municipalities can protect public health. The group of manufactured chemicals in question, PFAS, has been under scrutiny for a number of years as research…

Big News on Coal Ash from EPA

January 11, 2022

Advocacy, Blog Posts, Plant Hammond, Press Releases

Today, EPA took an enormous step toward addressing the real-world pollution concerns surrounding coal ash pond closure. In offering determinations on a handful of specific closure plans, EPA sent clear guidance on how the CCR (coal ash) Rule is to be implemented. From EPAs press release on January 11, 2022: “the proposed determinations re-state EPA’s consistently held position that surface impoundments or landfills cannot be closed with coal ash in contact with groundwater.” The press release further states that “Closure…

GA Power Plans to Leave Toxic Coal Ash in Groundwater at Plant Hammond

August 5, 2021

Advocacy, Blog Posts

Georgia Power is seeking approval from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD)for Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) permits to cap nearly 50 million tons of toxic coal ash inplace in unlined pits, starting with Plant Hammond’s 1 million ton Ash Pond 3 in Rome, GA. Plant Hammond’s Ash Pond 3 is partially located in the 100-year floodplain and regularly interacts with groundwater. As a result, this closure plan will allow toxic components of coal ash (such as arsenic, cadmium, selenium, and…

Eddied Out: Thinking about Rivers in a Time of Social Distancing

August 10, 2020

Blog Posts

By: Nik Bergill “It looks like a goose flying backwards!” the young girl in my raft exclaimed. On another clear day in Western North Carolina, I couldn’t help but laugh. Almost two months into my season as a raft guide on the French Broad River, I had grown accustomed to seeing the local Great Blue Herons. Through Beginners Rapid, in the Maze, or far downriver in the Windy Flats, herons could be found in their reliable spots along the river…

Connect with a Cause Through Citizen Science

August 6, 2020

Blog Posts, Education, Water Monitoring

By Courtnee Pope Hello, CRBI friends and family! My name is Courtnee Davenport and I am working as CRBI’s summer bacterial water sampling intern this year.I planted my roots in Romein the summer of 2004 when my family made our last Marine Corps duty station move. I was lucky to be able to see a lot of America in my young life as we travelled across country every two years or so. I give credit to those long car rides…