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DEL.ICIO.USA TV tale of the EPD director and the chairman of the state DOT board
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Dale Russell at Fox 5 had a piece on Tuesday in which he said Carol Couch, director of the state Environmental Protection Division, overruled her own staff and federal regulators to give developers permission to build on top of an intermittent stream near Lake Lanier. For a local Walmart.
One of the developers was Mike Evans, chairman of the board that governs the state Department of Transportation. Couch’s decision eventually was set aside. Here’s a link to the video.
Comments
By RJ
February 27, 2008 12:21 PM | Link to this
This is just another in a series of examples of how special interests have a stanglehold on our state government decision making.
With all these revelations coming to light in the last year,a cloud of stinch and corruption hanging over the capitol, even Bubba is now in a mood to take back our government. We were blind but now we see…look out Westmoreland we are coming after you.
By Tom
February 27, 2008 1:08 PM | Link to this
Boy, that story had the Speaker’s fingerprints all over it. The Fox 5 story was about the biggest I-Team non-story of all time. Ultimately, the developers weren’t allowed to build as hoped, got a buffer variance and still lost the Wal-Mart deal. While I despise Wal-Mart and am glad another one wasn’t inflicted on Forsyth County, the real story here was about the environmental wackos who use an “intermittent” stream to stop legitimate development.
By Whatever
February 27, 2008 1:54 PM | Link to this
Tom, you’re clueless. I’ve been there, and it’s clearly a flowing stream whenever there’s rain.
Hey, Mike Evans, must be nice to be a DOT Bd. member and throw you’re weight around because of it. If you weren’t on the State Transportation Bd., no one would give you the time of day. The question is: Are you on the Transportation Bd. to serve others and help guide transportation policy, or are you on it to help fatten your wallet??
Hey, Carol Couch, you are simply lying if you say your decision wasn’t made due to political considerations. Your credibility is gone.
By OneForTheRoad
February 27, 2008 3:23 PM | Link to this
Where are the environmentalists when you need them. Go to www.ngass.com and look into that mess. You can thank our Georgia politicians for that one.
By Tom
February 27, 2008 4:40 PM | Link to this
“A flowing stream whenever there’s rain” equals a DRAINAGE ditch, Whatever, NOT a stream. Who in the heck is clueless when you hang your hat on that tortured definition?
By Round HE, Fuse VT
February 27, 2008 5:58 PM | Link to this
The headwaters of every river in the state are composed of “intermittant strams”. Did you think the Chattahoochee or Altamaha sprung fully flowing from the hills? Keeping the heradwaters alive isn’t just an environmentalist issue - or have you not noticed that water availability can become a problem..
By mickeyd
February 27, 2008 8:19 PM | Link to this
Keep in mind the time period when all this thuggishness occurred….Mike Evans was the swing vote to annoint Gena Abraham as Gov. Perdue’s choice to be the new DOT Commissioner….so Evans used his clout to club the State’s EPD Commissioner Carol Couch like a baby seal.
By mickeyd
February 27, 2008 8:43 PM | Link to this
I believe it’s very important and telling to remember the time frame when these backroom shenanigans were going on…Mike Evans was the swing vote for Gov. Perdue on the DOT Commissioner’s job…so Evans cashed his chips for personal benefit and later denies it. The people of GA deserve better.
By Wicked Hard
February 27, 2008 10:02 PM | Link to this
America is no longer the beautiful
By TK
February 27, 2008 10:32 PM | Link to this
http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/
What more can I say.
By It went down like this
February 28, 2008 11:53 AM | Link to this
SP: Hey Carol, this is Sonny the Guvna. I need Mike Evans’ vote for GDOT Commish. So give him and his developers whatever he wants for that little Walmart project. Who cares if he covers that little ole stream?
CC: Yes, sir, your wish is my command. Anyway, my staff just cares about the environmental implications. They don’t play politics like me. I’ll put them in their place!
By roberta nicks
March 10, 2008 10:14 PM | Link to this
Folks, wake up!! this is Ga. politics at its most crooked. There was not one person at that Capitol who was not wondering what Mike Evans took from the Gov to vote for Gena Abraham, a smart lady but with NO transportation experience. There were and are lots of highly qualified experienced people around the US who could have lead that department into a 21st century organization. But, no, we had to chose Sonny’s girl with no experience in the industry. Teaching does not count. We are talking real on the job experience. What I think most Georgians need to ask is why our Attorney General is not investigating this one? is he in Sonny’s back pocket too?