EPD Archives - Coosa River Basin Initiative

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…

CRBI Wins Victory For Coosa River Fish, Plant Hammond Water Intake Must Be Improved

October 18, 2018

Advocacy, Plant Hammond, Press Releases

CRBI Wins Victory For Coosa River Fish; Plant Hammond Water Intake Must Be Improved The Coosa River Basin Initiative, represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center, recently won a legal challenge to a Clean Water Act permit issued to one of the oldest coal-fired power plants still operating in Georgia. Based on the administrative law judge’s ruling, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division must improve permit conditions by selecting a stop-gap measure to reduce the number of fish and aquatic species…

Gold Creek Foods Gets Slap on Wrist for Flat Creek Fish Kill

July 26, 2018

Advocacy, Water Monitoring

Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division (EPD) in June fined Gold Creek Foods in Dawsonville $9,000 for a March spill of ferric chloride that resulted in a complete kill of aquatic life along a 3.7 mile stretch of Flat Creek. According to EPD documents, the spill killed an estimated 8,262 fish, including federally threatened Cherokee darters. In addition to the $9000 fine, EPD is requiring the company to clean up soil at the facility contaminated by ferric chloride, improve its stormwater pollution…

2018 Georgia General Assembly: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

April 23, 2018

Advocacy

The Georgia General Assembly ended the 2018 legislative session on March 29. Now, a month out from Sine Die, we can take a look back on what went right of our rivers and streams and what went wrong. First, the Good: Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Act Passes! The Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Act (GOSA) passed meaning that this November, Georgia voters will decide a constitutional amendment that would take a portion of the sale tax we already pay when we purchase, hunting,…

CRBI Takes Action to Stop Pollution of Coosa at Plant Hammond

February 12, 2018

Advocacy, Press Releases

For Immediate Release: February 8, 2018 Conservation Groups Challenge Plant Hammond Permit due to Antiquated Cooling Water Structure Rome, GA—The Coosa River Basin Initiative and the Southern Environmental Law Center are challenging a lax permit for Georgia Power’s Plant Hammond, a coal-fired power plant that has needlessly degraded a the Coosa River for decades. SELC, on behalf of CRBI, has filed a petition for hearing before an administrative law judge to challenge a Clean Water Act pollutant discharge…