• Cashiers Sewage Treatment Plant Proposed Expansion
• Rabun County Power Line Controversy Heats Up
• Chattahoochee Forest Plan Amendment 18 Challenged
• Georgia's Natural Waters Not Fit to Swim In

Cashiers Sewage Treatment Plant Proposed Expansion

A group of private investors is lobbying the Tuckaseigee Sewer and Water Authority (TSWA) to double the capacity of the Cashiers sewage treatment plant, which discharges its effluent into the headwaters of the Chattooga River in North Carolina. Currently the town’s sewage treatment plant is operating at capacity, processing 100,000 gallons per day. Developers have proposed purchasing a used sewage plant and reserving 80% of the expanded capacity for their exclusive use, to produce a total of 200,000 gallons per day of treated sewage into the Chattooga’s headwaters.

TSWA and some Cashiers Chamber of Commerce members have expressed interest in this proposition. However, residents near the Cashiers plant complain of foul odors, and the plant’s records show regular discharges of fecal coliform far in excess of the permitted amount. Curiously, the sewage plant’s most current operating records have been misplaced. At a recent public hearing, Cashiers residents appeared in force in opposition to the proposed sewage plant expansion, citing: concerns about the availability of water; the undesirable qualities of promoting speculative development in the area; and, the legality of dedicating a portion of the proposed expansion to private developers. Stay tuned, as action on this matter is imminent.

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Rabun County Power Line Controversy Heats up

On August 31st a convoy of 20 or so tractors criss-crossed the streets of downtown Clayton, carrying protest signs and displaying solidarity against a proposed high voltage power line through the Rabun County countryside. The convoy was followed by a spirited rally at the civic center prior to Georgia Transmission Corporation’s (GTC) public meeting. Over 300 Rabun County citizens showed up to hear GTC’s pitch about why the 115 kilovolt power line was “needed,” and to voice their concerns and outright opposition to the project. Many whose homes and farms lie in the “least cost electrical alternative” corridor passionately oppose the potential taking of their property, the visual blight of power line towers, and possible adverse health effects of constant exposure to powerful electromagnetic fields.

Other citizens question the need for such a major increase in transmission line capacity for a county that contains only 30% private land. Many feel that GTC has designs on using the power line to access the Tennessee Valley Authority’s electrical grid, thus gaining a market advantage and greater profit margin in the advent of the industry’s deregulation. The Chattooga Conservancy is working as a member of Citizens For Rabun’s Heritage to offer other alternatives for meeting the county’s power needs. The group is also working with statehouse representatives to introduce legislation that would provide oversight for the siting of high voltage power lines.

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Chattahoochee Forest Plan Amendment 18 Challenged

The Chattahoochee National Forest’s intensive timber harvesting program has been stalled for over a year, due to a ruling by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals that determined the Forest Service was not abiding by their Forest Plan. Now, the agency’s latest maneuver is to try to eliminate the grounds of the court’s decision by changing the rules contained in the Chattahoochee Forest Plan. If successful, the Plan amendment would rewrite and weaken species monitoring requirements, thus allowing a host of intensive timber sales to move forward.

The Chattooga Conservancy is a plaintiff in the current appeal that would prevent the agency from changing the Forest Plan. This appeal is being forwarded by the Southern Environmental Law Center, and we aim to prevail and prevent the agency from sidestepping their charge to abide by federal law, which in this case is the National Forest Management Act. This law does not prevent the Forest Service from cutting trees, as long it can be shown that populations of the other plants and animals in the ecosystem are able to survive.

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Georgia’s Natural Waters Not Fit To Swim In

“A number of states claim to meet water quality standards by simply redefining standards to a lower threshold.” For example, despite Clean Water Act goals of “swimmable and fishable” waters, Georgia classifies only a small fraction of its streams and lakes as fit for recreation. At a September hearing in the town of Commerce, Alan Hallum, Chief of the State’s Water Protection Branch, in response to a question about whether pollution permits were written to protect waters for swimming, explained: “It is the policy of the state of Georgia that we do not recommend swimming in natural waters.” (From Spring 2000 PEEReview)

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