Middle Georgia Clean Water Alliance

02/24/2024

“I mean, we have told the power company, we have told legislators, we have told EPD, you told the governor that these plans are illegal,” Sams said. “We've been saying that for years. And now EPA is saying what we've been saying.”

The federal Environmental Protection Agency has begun asserting its authority over Georgia plans for the long term storage of the toxic material left over from burning coal to make electricity, so called coal ash.

09/13/2023

EPA has proposed to deny Alabama’s application to run a coal ash permit program, which holds important implications for Georgia’s coal ash ponds. The central reason for EPA’s decision in Alabama is that the state environmental agency has issued several permits that approve closure of coal ash in groundwater. EPA has repeatedly rejected that method as illegal under the Federal Coal Ash Rule.

Here in Georgia, EPD and Georgia Power have a draft plan to allow plant Scherer to be closed in groundwater. The time has come for folks in Juliette to send another clear message to EPA that Georgia EPD must prohibit coal ash pond closures that are in contact with groundwater. The people of Georgia matter just as much as people in the other 49 states.

The EPA is holding an in-person public hearing on September 20th and an online hearing on September 27th. This is our best opportunity to have our voices heard. However, there are limited slots for both hearings, and we need to sign up as soon as possible to secure a speaking slot. Altamaha Riverkeeper is arranging transportation for those that can travel to the in person hearing, please let us know if you can sign up, or have any questions.

Sign up for in person hearing:

https://www.epa.gov/coalash/forms/person-public-hearing-alabamas-coal-combustion-residuals-permit-program (https://www.epa.gov/coalash/forms/person-public-hearing-alabamas-coal-combustion-residuals-permit-program)

Sign up for online hearing:

https://www.epa.gov/coalash/forms/online-public-hearing-alabamas-coal-combustion-residuals-permit-program (https://www.epa.gov/coalash/forms/online-public-hearing-alabamas-coal-combustion-residuals-permit-program)

webpage for the in person Alabama public hearing

03/22/2023

Thank you, Mr. Ambrose for your support!!

03/15/2023

Never thought we'd see it, did we 🙌👏

07/20/2022

The Georgia Supreme Court on Thursday declined to consider a case over the cost of cleaning up toxic coal ash from Georgia Power’s plants. The decision means ordinary Georgians will […]

07/17/2022

Available to watch in 2 weeks. You don't want to miss this, a very eye opening documentary. And to think we trust these industries and those who are to protect us along with the environment but do quite the opposite. Keep staying silent, there is a price we're all paying for......
You must register to watch, click on the link below.

On September 20, 2022 thousands of SAFE ("Scientists, Activists, and Families for SAFE Environments") protesters will gather outside EPA Headquarters in Washington D.C. to demand accountability to address environmental contamination that has poisoned our children, families, wildlife and environment....

05/09/2022

"And while important, the water line and the clean water it brings is only part of the solution, Goolsby said.

“We’re obviously very thankful for (the federal funds),” Goolsby said. “But is that just a little bit of give to the citizens in Monroe to kind of stop the fight against coal ash? To kind of pacify our desires?

“What we hope is the right thing will be done, but as we found through this fight for clean water, the people’s interests are not always put first. We’ve learned it’s more profit over people. It’s all about money.”

Andrea Goolsby speaks wistfully about the taste of water fresh from the well at her childhood home in Juliette. “There’s just something about getting well water from a water hose on a hot summer day,” Goolsby said in an interview. But the days of cooling off with well water are just a bittersw...

03/24/2022

Legislation would require groundwater monitoring at ash ponds that have been closed to continue for 50 years after the closure is completed

02/22/2022

https://twitter.com/MaxBlau/status/1496204719479472130

Here's the full award description from the governor's office:
"Due to the presence of Uranium, Radon and Hexavalent Chromium in the groundwater, the Monroe County Board of Commissioners have taken measures to provide residents in the area surrounding Georgia Power Company’s Plant Scherer safe drinking water. The area includes the Juliette community and thus was named the Juliette Area Water System. This Proposal is an extension of the ongoing Juliette Area Water System project that was initiated by the Board of Commissioners in January 2020. Program construction cost estimates based on market conditions at the time of the Juliette Water System Concept placed the overall project budget at $16.3 million. Since that time construction prices have escalated due in part to issues related to COVID-19. Using current market conditions, construction cost estimates for completion of the Juliette Water System show a shortfall of approximately $7 million. Monroe County is respectfully requesting $___ million in State Fiscal Recovery Funds to cover a portion of the shortfall.
The target area surrounds the west, north, and northeast boundaries of Plant Scherer. The area to be served lies within Census Tract 501.02 that shows the total number of households equals 1,585. Based on the 2015-2019 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile the average household size in this Tract is 2.41 people. The estimated number of households in the Proposal service area is 447 which equates to an estimated 1,077 people.
The Monroe County Board of Commissioners goal for the project is to construct the remaining 30 miles of water mains to serve the target area and have the system fully operational on or before December 31, 2022."

“Of the $422 million, has awarded $6 million to build water lines in Juliette. Officials had asked for the funding to provide residents living near Plant Scherer after their drinking water was made unsafe by the "presence of Uranium, Radon and Hexavalent Chromium." https://t.co/zxh...

01/11/2022

This is huge, ya'll!

EPA News Release: EPA Takes Key Steps to Protect Groundwater from Coal Ash Contamination

12/31/2021

On this special episode of Georgia Today, we're revisiting one of our favorite episodes of 2021. This is the story of a grassroots fight in Middle Georgia for clean drinking water. GPB reporter Grant Blankenship and photojournalist Evey Wilson, an assistant professor at the Mercer University's Cente...