DeKalb, EPA to rewrite multi-decade sewage lawsuit agreement

A white high rise building with an American flag in front

Hearings for the DeKalb County consent decree take place at the Richard B. Russell Federal Building downtown.

Mike Stewart / AP

DeKalb County and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency told U.S. District Judge Steven Grimberg on Thursday that it’s replacing a 15-year-old agreement with the federal government over the county’s sewage spills.

The agreement — called a consent decree — outlines decades of upgrades to the county’s sewage infrastructure. It has major influence over county operations — the agreement undergirds the county’s long-term planning, what projects it prioritizes and picks for funding, and drives policy goals.

The consent decree came from a settlement between DeKalb County and the U.S. EPA back in 2011, after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Georgia Environmental Protection Division over its failing sewage infrastructure.