That quote is from an U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official — he's talking about how the chicken processors' environmental impact is regulated in Georgia, in that often the processors regulate themselves. The state has just two inspectors overseeing industrial storm water pollution permits at some 3,000 sites; some of the most aggressive testing is done by volunteers.

Those concerns were validated this year when surprise inspections found that two companies were failing to do enough to prevent waste and manure from washing into a Georgia creek that empties into Lake Lanier. Sometimes after rains, Flat Creek is so choked with garbage you can barely see the water, one volunteer said.

But one poultry official said the plants are not the only ones to blame for high levels of bacteria.

Keep Reading

Lead Nurse Practitioner Lori Reed examines a Covid patient at Piedmont Pulmonary Covid Recovery Clinic in Atlanta in 2022. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mostly attributed the nationwide rise in life expectancy to fewer deaths caused by the infectious disease. (Steve Schaefer/AJC file)

Credit: Steve Schaefer

Featured

Managing Partner at Atlantica Properties, Darion Dunn (center) talks with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens during a tour following the ribbon cutting of Waterworks Village as part of the third phase of the city’s Rapid Housing Initiative on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025.
(Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez