Home > Political Insider > Archives > 2007 > October > 22 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USSays Gov. Riley of Alabama: We need that extra water for a nuke plant, not mussels.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Alabama Gov. Bob Riley has asked President Bush to deny a request by Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue for a disaster declaration, saying it would put Alabama people and jobs at risk, according to the Birmingham News.
We just got a copy of Riley’s letter ourselves a few minutes ago. Among the highlights:
— “While Alabama understands that it must bear its fair share of the pain from the drought, Alabama does not believe that it should bear more than it’s fair share.”
— “Georgia, in essence, wants you to suspend all releases out of Lake Lanier beyond those needed for Atlanta-area water supply. That would be a radical step that would ignore the vital downstream interests of Alabama.”
— “Georgia has repeatedly framed its request as a contest between people in the Atlanta area and endangered mussels in Florida. Nothing could be further than the truth….Georgia ignores the fact that the Farely Nuclear Plant sits on the banks of the Chattahoochee River and requires cooling water.”
— Riley also takes issue with Georgia’s estimation that it has 80 or so days before toilets run dry. Actually, the Alabama governor said, it’s more like 260 days — and we’re coming up on the rainy season.
Both governors are Republican, and one’s tempted to wonder which one has more clout with Bush — remember that Perdue is chairman of the Republican Governors Association.
But when it comes to water, there is no Republican and there is no Democrat. There’s only thirsty and not-yet thirsty.
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Comments
By cici
October 22, 2007 4:49 PM | Link to this
If this is true then Alabama won’t mind if we stop letting water out of Lake Allatoona.
By Native Atlantan
October 22, 2007 6:06 PM | Link to this
Dear Bob Riley,
Enforce the same watering restrictions we have in Georgia on your constituents in Alabama and then you have the right to complain about the plight of those downstream. In Atlanta we’re taking military style showers, not watering our lawns, plans, etc all in an effort to conserve while you and the residents and corporations of Alabama live restriction free. We aren’t blameless in Georgia for our misuse and mismanagement of the water supply, however, you need to seriously re-evaluate your position if you think you have any right to continue to allow Alabama residents to enjoy excessive water use for watering and recreation when your neighbors upstream are facing a very serious drought, which you so kindly turn a blind eye too.
What an idiot…though I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised.
By King Donko of Punchstania
October 22, 2007 6:33 PM | Link to this
My first thought is that this is a great argument against nuclear power plants. Aside from the fact that they are an eyesore and ruin many beautiful waterways, they also consume too much water. Our country should pursue more efficient sources of power and eliminate nuclear power plants all together.
Secondly, Gov. Riley: That’s a you problem; Not a me problem. All Georgia waterways should be reserved for use by Georgians during this crisis.
Suck it Alabama.
By Joe
October 22, 2007 6:46 PM | Link to this
Gov. Riley is being plain unrealistic, stupid and just plain greedy. This drought covers most of Georgia andAlabama yet only Georgia is under water restrictions. It is not right for Alabama to get the same level of water coming downstream as if there were no drought. There are more people here in Georgia that need water then the few in lower Alabama. They need to conserve like we are here in Georgia and I hope George W Bush understands that.
By wackolibhack
October 22, 2007 6:49 PM | Link to this
Bush and Cheney are stealing all the water. I hate Bush. It is all his fault. Gosh!
By Reid in EAV
October 22, 2007 7:43 PM | Link to this
“King Donko” — consider the nuclear is the only large-scale power option that’s carbon neutral and essentially limitless, with only people’s tolerance for plants (and waste) as the limiting factors. Pick your poison, basically.
By DwayneL
October 22, 2007 8:23 PM | Link to this
Carbon neutral….what a joke! I love the new terminology coming from the global warming hoax.
By wackolibhack
October 22, 2007 8:59 PM | Link to this
Bush and Cheney caused Hurricane Katrina. Stealing water is not beyond their grasp.
By joeyahoya
October 22, 2007 9:19 PM | Link to this
While I agree that Alabama should share what extra water it has, it’s going to take the feds to decide what constitutes extra. Don’t be surprised if they agree with Riley.
By Craig also
October 22, 2007 9:35 PM | Link to this
Anyone who thinks global climate change is a hoax hasn’t bothered to step outdoors lately.
I agree - nuke plants are not pretty - but I think they’re the best option for us going forward.
By roly poly
October 22, 2007 10:11 PM | Link to this
Here in Alabama we have plenty of water. Even when this crisis passes you people in Atlanta are still screwed. That’s because you are growing and not planning. Who are the idiots? Be nice to us and maybe we’ll let you build a viaduct to our abundant water sources that you can have finished when your population hits ten million. You’ll have to do something big sooner or later or you really will be screwed and this episode will be remembered as the good old days. Why is it that you have been suffering from restrictions for so long in the first place? Is it our fault you can’t plan ahead? Either way we’ll be okay and Atlanta will be drawing the short straw. Hey good luck with that.
By Terri
October 22, 2007 10:21 PM | Link to this
Bite a big one, roly poly.
If you have plenty of water, you certainly don’t need ours.
Ever wonder why there are more people here than in Alabama?
By roly poly
October 22, 2007 10:47 PM | Link to this
Because they all wanted to get the hell out of New Jersey. That viaduct options is still out there. Good luck with your drought.
By GreyFlcn
October 22, 2007 11:30 PM | Link to this
Speaking of which, anyone read that report saying how biofuels will cause massive droughts, by the US National Academy of Sciences? http://www.greencarcongress.com/2007/10/national-resear.html
By wackolibhack
October 23, 2007 2:58 AM | Link to this
Elect a Democrat for president and all of water will come back when we sign Kyoto. Bush stole the Water!!!!!!!
By Ed
October 23, 2007 7:27 AM | Link to this
I know the short term fix is not good. You would think however that Florida, Alabama, and Georgia who have miles of Ocean shoreline could pump and desalinize water to fill critical power plants and water basins to slow the flow upstream.
By disgusted
October 23, 2007 7:32 AM | Link to this
roly poly, If you have plenty of water then why is the Hillaby creek almost dry?
By Ex-reporter
October 23, 2007 8:31 AM | Link to this
Actually for those of you who think Alabama hasn’t put watering restrictions in place, I suggest you do some elementary research. In and around Birmingham, stage 3 watering restrictions were in place for most of the summer. That means no outdoor watering, no washing cars, etc. I know in the southeastern part of the state (Dothan) they put watering restrictions in place EVERY year during the summer, regardless of the amount of rain.
It seems to me Atlanta needs to do proper growth planning. Of course, that’s like putting the horse back in the barn after the barn door has been thrown open.
Oh, and for all those saying we need to get rid of nuclear plants, where do you think Georgia and Alabama get 20 percent of their electricity from? Nuclear power plants.
By GeezGuys
October 23, 2007 8:33 AM | Link to this
Desalination is expensive and uses energy. You want everyone to treat seawater and pump it uphill, instead of minor conservation—-which it’s too late for now, but would have prevented this panic stricken mess? You can’t just run seawater through a coffee filter to remover the minerals.
Take a hike, disgusted. A creek is hardly a major water source. Are you going to start carping that minor ditches are dried up? Roly Poly has plenty of water because they aren’t greedy hogs who think it’s just a bottomless trough for their piggy snouts. Start planning that viaduct, clearly fatso gub’ner Sonny will do nothing but file lawsuits to avoid p*ssing off developers.
Maybe Alabama can ship some air, too, when lack of planning results in unbreathable smog year-round.
By bo
October 23, 2007 9:27 AM | Link to this
There are NO watering restrictions in the Birmingham area now.
By fuldawg
October 23, 2007 12:33 PM | Link to this
Alabama, this is all about personal responsibility, provide for yourself and dig your own hole!!!
By Jim J
October 23, 2007 1:27 PM | Link to this
Absolutely hilarious that the pinhead fuldawg would lecture Alabama on “personal responsibility.” Yeah, Atlanta has been really responsible about managing its exponential rampant growth over the last 25 years, yep, that’s a great example for ya. Typical brain-dead Atlanta suburbanite who knows about absolutely nothing outside the gates of his prefab “community” and what he sees on Fox News.
By wackolibhack
October 23, 2007 3:24 PM | Link to this
Just like Katrina. Atlanta has a lot of black people and Bush is using water, or lack thereof to ruin lives. Bring Bush to justice
By Change in the air
October 23, 2007 5:31 PM | Link to this
we need a pipe line from the sea to in land georgia to turn salt water in to drinking water that would end that deal with water. Have storage lakes along the pipe line so city can pump from for water!!! Time to make a move and save our state and growth and jobs in this state.
By Change in STORAGE
October 23, 2007 5:37 PM | Link to this
THE NUKE PLANT NEED TO BUILD A LAKE TO STORE COOLING WATER WHEN THE RIVER IS LOW . THAT TO BRING jOBS TO BAMA. GEORGIA NEEDS TO BUILD MORE STORAGE LAKE FOR WATER tOO!
By Change in STORAGE
October 23, 2007 5:44 PM | Link to this
ALL SOUTHERN STATES NEED A WATER STORAGE PROGRAM ! WHEN IT RAIN STORE IT IN A MAN MADE LAKES!
By Alabama reader
October 23, 2007 5:44 PM | Link to this
There are some ignorant comments above; Alabama has been enforcing water restrictions for months. The Governor has declared a Stage 3 drought in Alabama making it illegal to use water for any outdoor uses. For many months it has been illegal to water lawns, use hoses, etc. Outdoor water use in Alabama is punishable by fines and jail. People who posts comments suggesting Alabama is not conserving water should get the facts before they comment.
By CLAX
October 23, 2007 6:17 PM | Link to this
You People who say the solution is to build desalination plants and Pipe “Sea Water to Atlanta” are just ignorant.
First, its over 250 miles to the coast.
Second, it would take over 10 years just to get approval and draw up plans for desalination. Just how many desalination plants are operating in the U.S.??? Give up? NONE! Why? Because they are expensive and inefficient.
Third, given that it’s taken Georgia over fifteen years to expand I-95 to more than four lanes, how many years do you think its going to tak to obtain right of ways and build a pipeline from the coast to Atlanta?
Fourth…the Georgia legislature passed legislation 5 years ago to build three reservoirs in West Georgia (Harralson & Paulding Counties) but what brilliant Governor VETO’D those reservoirs? SONNY DID!
You Republicans are so ignorant and short-sighted that no businesses are ever going to locate operations here. We are a joke and you people just don’t get it!
By Wacklibhack
October 23, 2007 9:56 PM | Link to this
I hope Bush did not steal all the water in CA like he did here. They’ve got one helluva fire out there.
By J
October 25, 2007 11:11 AM | Link to this
We do have water restrictions. I relandscaped my yard in ealry May and due to water restrictsion i have 3 shrubs left and my grass has been dead for a month. Be sure to get your facts straight before leaving a comment like that.
By wackolibhack
October 26, 2007 1:34 AM | Link to this
Bush made Global Warming and it got hot and the water evaporated. It is that simple. If we elect Hillary now, it will rain just the right amount and Atlanta will be saved.
Act up against Drought!!!!!!!!!