|
State of Atlanta Bureaucracy Alert ...
The Chattanooga Times recently reported an alarming event. The EPA will be holding hearings on making 48 North
Georgia rural counties pay the price for the pollution generated by the State of Atlanta.
According to the Times, this is being supported by the Sierra Club:
Colleen Kierman of the Sierra Club says, “This is a regional problem and needs regional solutions.....The data say (sic) the problem comes from sources that can be in these
counties”.(Chattanooga Times Free Press, 6/19/03 page B1) Of course there are no specifics given to back up her claim.
This will mean increased federal and State regulation, ie. more permits, taxes and restrictions on rural Georgia. This will
mean increased control on a "Regional" basis. Down the road, the State of Atlanta has its eyes on getting more of
our water.
Since these folks do not believe that the rest of Georgia counts enough to even Vote on our State Flag, let them wallow in
their own pollution, permits, fees and restrictions. This is ridiculous, the rural areas do not pollute Atlanta, if anything
it is the other way around. Let the EPA build a wall around the Perimeter!
There will be a public hearing on June 26 in Walker County. For more information contact: Rock Thomas at Walker@spofga.org
or Jimmy Rogers at Catoosa@spofga.org. There are other meetings scheduled and
information and contacts will be posted as soon as available.
Following letter to editor was set to Chattanooga Times:
Dear Editor,
Rural Georgia is again under attack. Now the EPA is considering extending Atlanta’s pollution controls to Walker County and 48 other rural counties. For starters, it would mean
emissions tests for you vehicles and more expensive gasoline.
Colleen Kierman of the Sierra Club says, “This is a regional problem and needs regional solutions.....The data say (sic) the problem comes from sources that can be in these
counties”. (Chattanooga Times Free Press, 6/19/03 page B1) Of course there are no specifics given to back up her claim.
Atlanta blames it’s pollution on us. We are a rural county over 100 miles from Atlanta. There is no industry here that effects Atlanta.
As far as I am concerned, Atlanta is a problem for rural counties. They have made their bed now let them go lie in it and leave us alone. If Atlanta cleaned up their act Georgia would not
have a pollution problem.
This is nothing more than a power grab. Environmental laws are used by the government to intrude into our homes and control our land and economy. Using the Sierra Club principle
stated above there is no one anywhere outside the reach of environmental laws.
There is a meeting at the Walker County Civic Center June 26, at 6:00 pm. I hope to see all the elected officials that represent Walker County there to protest this power grab.
Sincerely,
Rock Thomas |
|
