jeffg
11-16-99, 10:58 AM
Folks, have you noticed that the paper has been running alot of anti-development articles lately. Look at the Sunday paper with the Hootch River Keepers article, and this article today, and some from the last couple of weeks. Start of a trend maybe?????
Here is the article.
Atlanta slapped by state for erosion
Julie B. Hairston - Staff
Tuesday, November 16, 1999
Building in Atlanta could soon slow down as a result of the city's refusal to
step up its enforcement of state laws on reducing soil runoff from
construction sites.
The state Soil and Water Conservation Commission has recommended to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division that Atlanta be stripped of its
right to oversee erosion control. This means the state will take over thepermitting of construction site plans, which could slow the process down by
as much as a month.
State officials first began working with the city in October 1996 to improve the city's enforcement of soil erosion prevention by sowing grass seed on cleared lots, maintaining silt fences and placing spans of gravel between working sites and paved roads.
After several years of warnings and probation, state officials say they're fedup.
"In a city the size of Atlanta, you expect to have problems," said F. Graham Liles Jr., executive director of the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation
Commission, "but you expect them to do something about it, and they're not."
Atlanta Chief Operating Officer Larry Wallace said the city has tried to address the commission's concerns, but that the abrupt departure of former Public Works Commissioner Jarvis Middleton in August 1998 caused some
"slippage" in the timetable.
The city employs three people to enforce erosion control on more than 2,000 construction sites. Fulton County, which, under pressure from the state,
added 28 people, employs about 30 people to oversee about 3,000 sites,according to Alan Toney, Fulton County district chairman. Toney wrote to Liles recommending that the city's soil and water certification be revoked.
Wallace blamed the city's delay in hiring enforcement personnel on the fact that the city was not put on notice until the middle of its budget year.
Toney said relations between his office and city officials "have been fairlyconfrontational, to say the least. We finally figured out this came straight
from the mayor's office. He just doesn't care."
Wallace said he "uncategorically" disputes Toney's assessment.
"The mayor is the most environmentally sensitive person I know," Wallacesaid. "He does care, and we will do whatever is necessary to be sure that there is no threat to the public health or the environment."
In addition to the slowdown in construction permitting, the city also couldlose some revenue if the state EPD revokes the city's erosion protection authority.
The city collects about $154,000 for reviewing construction site plans and about $4 million in building permits annually. It would forfeit some of that
money if the state takes over reviewing the site plans.
Toney said that state officials receive regular complaints from city residents about streams and lawns awash in runoff from nearby construction sites.
The city, he said, has turned a deaf ear to the reports.
"We've even had instances where we called the city and didn't get a response," Toney said. "What it boils down to is attitude. They don't want to enforce the law, and they don't want to be bothered."
Here is the article.
Atlanta slapped by state for erosion
Julie B. Hairston - Staff
Tuesday, November 16, 1999
Building in Atlanta could soon slow down as a result of the city's refusal to
step up its enforcement of state laws on reducing soil runoff from
construction sites.
The state Soil and Water Conservation Commission has recommended to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division that Atlanta be stripped of its
right to oversee erosion control. This means the state will take over thepermitting of construction site plans, which could slow the process down by
as much as a month.
State officials first began working with the city in October 1996 to improve the city's enforcement of soil erosion prevention by sowing grass seed on cleared lots, maintaining silt fences and placing spans of gravel between working sites and paved roads.
After several years of warnings and probation, state officials say they're fedup.
"In a city the size of Atlanta, you expect to have problems," said F. Graham Liles Jr., executive director of the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation
Commission, "but you expect them to do something about it, and they're not."
Atlanta Chief Operating Officer Larry Wallace said the city has tried to address the commission's concerns, but that the abrupt departure of former Public Works Commissioner Jarvis Middleton in August 1998 caused some
"slippage" in the timetable.
The city employs three people to enforce erosion control on more than 2,000 construction sites. Fulton County, which, under pressure from the state,
added 28 people, employs about 30 people to oversee about 3,000 sites,according to Alan Toney, Fulton County district chairman. Toney wrote to Liles recommending that the city's soil and water certification be revoked.
Wallace blamed the city's delay in hiring enforcement personnel on the fact that the city was not put on notice until the middle of its budget year.
Toney said relations between his office and city officials "have been fairlyconfrontational, to say the least. We finally figured out this came straight
from the mayor's office. He just doesn't care."
Wallace said he "uncategorically" disputes Toney's assessment.
"The mayor is the most environmentally sensitive person I know," Wallacesaid. "He does care, and we will do whatever is necessary to be sure that there is no threat to the public health or the environment."
In addition to the slowdown in construction permitting, the city also couldlose some revenue if the state EPD revokes the city's erosion protection authority.
The city collects about $154,000 for reviewing construction site plans and about $4 million in building permits annually. It would forfeit some of that
money if the state takes over reviewing the site plans.
Toney said that state officials receive regular complaints from city residents about streams and lawns awash in runoff from nearby construction sites.
The city, he said, has turned a deaf ear to the reports.
"We've even had instances where we called the city and didn't get a response," Toney said. "What it boils down to is attitude. They don't want to enforce the law, and they don't want to be bothered."