Georgia Water Coalition lauds passage of coal ash bill

ATLANTA — In the wake of the passage of SB 123 in the Georgia General Assembly, the Georgia Water Coalition is issuing 23 public thank yous to a bipartisan list of legislators. SB 123 was signed by Gov. Kemp and closes a loophole that encouraged out-of-state businesses to dump coal ash in Georgia’s solid waste landfills. It is the first bill to pass the Georgia legislature to address the massive threat coal ash poses in Georgia.

Among the Georgia House members recognized by the Georgia Water Coalition are:

♦ Rep. Erick Allen

♦ Rep. Debbie Buckner

♦ Rep. James Burchett

♦ Rep. Jasmine Clark

♦ Rep. John Corbett

♦ Rep. Jeff Jones

♦ Rep. Angelika Kauche

♦ Rep. Steven Meeks

♦ Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver

♦ Rep. Lynn Smith

♦ Rep. Bob Trammell

♦ Rep. Mary Frances Williams

♦ Rep. Rick Williams

♦ Among the Georgia Senators recognized by the Georgia Water Coalition are:

♦ Sen. Ed. Harbison

♦ Sen. Tyler Harper

♦ Sen. Chuck Hufstedler

♦ Sen. Burt Jones

♦ Sen. Jen Jordan

♦ Sen. Zahra Karinshak

♦ Sen. William Ligon

♦ Sen. Nan Orrock

♦ Sen. Lindsey Tippins

The coalition also recognized Gov. Brian Kemp for signing the bill.

“The Georgia Water Coalition thanks these legislators and Gov. Kemp for their help on coal ash legislation during the 2020 legislative session,” Jennette Gayer, director of Environment Georgia and chair of the Georgia Water Coalition’s coal ash committee, said in a news release. “There are still important coal ash issues to be dealt with in 2021, and we look forward to working with these decision-makers in the future.”

The Georgia Water Coalition is a consortium of more than 260 conservation and environmental organizations, hunting and fishing groups, businesses, and faith-based organizations that have been working to protect Georgia’s water since 2002. Find more at www.gawater.org.

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