Local governments and businesses could avoid water pollution fines if they agree to voluntarily correct problems associated with a spill under a bill passed Wednesday by a Senate committee.
Senate Bill 269 has already lit a fire under environmentalists, who say it gives polluters a free pass and takes the teeth out of state law.
The bill's sponsor, however, said it was aimed primarily at small municipalities that struggle to maintain old infrastructure. The money they would otherwise spend on fines should instead go toward repairs and replacement of failing parts, said Sen. Rick Jeffares, R-Locust Grove.
Jeffares, who is an engineer with a firm that works on environmental services, said the bill was "a carrot instead of a stick to cities and counties to get them to take care of the problem."
Juliet Cohen, with the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper environmental group, disagreed.
Cohen told the Senate's Natural Resources and the Environment Committee that any public or private polluter could exploit the bill because it mandates no deadline to complete the work. Cohen also said the bill as written would apply even in cases of emergency or intentional discharges.
"I think it's pretty clear if they've got an emergency, they're going to respond," Jeffares said.
SB 269 would also allow local governments to obtain low-interest loans from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority to help pay for repair or replacement work.
It passed the committee unanimously, although it still needs approval from the powerful Senate Rules Committee before it can go before the entire Senate.
Environmentalists said they would press for changes to the bill.
Todd Edwards of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia said his organization favored the bill's concept because "it gives local governments another tool to address" water quality issues.
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