Environmental Justice Day at the Georgia Capitol had groups lobbying not only against pollution and environmental injustice, but also kitchen-table voting issues.
This year, environmental lobbying at the Georgia dome is looking a bit different as groups pivoted from one of the main priorities of the last few years — protecting the Okefenokee Swamp — instead looking at a broader swath of policies, often protecting the environment via the pocketbook.
The morning of what’s nicknamed “EJ Day,” groups review important environmental bills folks may want to speak with representatives about and do a quick crash course on talking with legislators at the Capitol.
Some of the bills and issues are ones that groups, like Science for Georgia, Georgia WAND, and other environmental organizations have rallied around for years.
“Who here has heard of PFAS? If you haven’t, it’s a forever chemical,” said Amy Sharma, executive director of Science for Georgia.
She explained House Bill 611, which would require companies to submit a form disclosing PFAS use to their municipal wastewater utilities, is a big focus for many environmental groups.
As is the ever-multiplying number of bills seeking to regulate data centers.
“If anybody has any questions about the literally seven other bills that are on the sheet, — and don’t worry, I’m sure there’s going to be another one before the end of the day,” Sharma said.
Another hot topic: energy bills, and the Georgia Public Service Commission. Senate Bill 94 is looking to reinstate a consumer advocate position for PSC proceedings.
“They will appoint a lawyer to represent me and you before the Public Service Commission so that we can get a fair shake at our electric bills and not be disconnected,” said Doug Teeper from Georgia Conservation Voters.
At the end of the day, Sharma said for many of these bills, “We’re back to dollars and cents,” kitchen table issues.
But the environmental groups are still working on their bread-and-butter issues — like PFAS pollution — as well as a “Bad Actor” bill, House Bill 644, which would allow the state to consider the in- and out-of-state pollution track record of companies applying for permits in Georgia.
One group chartered a coach bus from South Georgia, leaving around 3 a.m. to arrive at the Capitol for Environmental Justice Day.
“Oftentimes, money nor impact reaches down past Macon — south of Macon — and so we had to come up here and let our voices be heard,” said Treva Gear from Adel with the Concerned Citizens of Cook County.
She says the group initially formed in 2020 due to a wood pellet plant looking to open shop nearby.
“This is very critical that our state legislators, who are employed by us, don’t continue to put profits over people, and it’s wrong to continue to allow our human health to be impacted for what we call economic progress,” Gear said. “Towns like Adel, Georgia, Lumber City and other rural communities that have wood pellet plants and other polluting industries do not need to suffer by caring for the sake of quote — unquote economic progress that leads to their demise, and not their rise.”
This isn’t the last big day for environmental issues at the Capitol, as the Georgia Water Coalition and partners will host Capitol Conservation Day at the political hub on Feb. 26.
