Cases, Deals, Settlements
SGR Obtains Favorable Ruling for Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper
In a victory for clean water in the Chattahoochee River, Atlanta’s most vital natural resource, Smith, Gambrell & Russell received a favorable ruling June 1 for Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (UCR) in the appeal of a permit issued last year to Forsyth County by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD). The permit allowed the county to discharge six million gallons of treated wastewater daily into the Chattahoochee River from its Fowler/Shakerag Wastewater Reclamation Facility. The precedent-setting decision, handed down by Judge Kristin Miller of the Office of State Administrative Hearings, found that the permitted discharge would result in lower water quality for the Chattahoochee River. The judge concluded that since Forsyth County can treat its wastewater and discharge significantly less pollution at minimal additional cost, the lowering of water quality is not necessary. Federal and state law prohibit lowering water quality unless necessary for important social or economic development in an area. SGR environmental attorneys Andy Thompson and Steve O’Day represented UCR.
