Tonight (Wednesday, April 12th) at 7:00 (Georgia Time) at the Rome-Floyd ECO River Center, Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division will hold a public hearing seeking input on the agency’s proposed pollution control permit for Georgia Power Company’s Plant Hammond on the Coosa River just upstream from Weiss Lake.  The permit outlines how much hot water and toxic pollutants the coal-fired power plant can discharge to the Coosa River. 

“Unfortunately EPD is passing pollution down river to our Alabama neighbors rather taking steps to eliminate on ongoing pollution problem that in the past has caused fish kills and for decades has harmed the Coosa River and Weiss Lake fishery,” said Joe Cook Advocacy and Communication Coordinator with the Coosa River Basin Initiative. 

Plant Hammond withdraws as much as 600 million gallons of water a day from the Coosa River, returning it as hot water. Georgia Power Company studies show that the massive water withdrawal could kill between 30,000 and 60,000 fish each year when they are sucked into the plants pipes or pinned against screens at the intake structure.  The hot water discharge contributes to low oxygen levels which harm habitat for fish and other aquatic wildlife. EPD first identified this problem more than a decade ago, but has never forced Georgia Power to alter its hot water discharge. 

“The proposed permit allows the plant to continue polluting the river,” said Cook. 

Toxic pollution including mercury, arsenic and selenium is also discharged from the plants massive coal ash ponds next to the Coosa.  CRBI is encouraging Weiss Lake residents to attend the hearing wearing black, the color of the coal that is burned at Plant Hammond, to show their support for a strong pollution control permit and a clean Coosa River and Weiss Lake. Oral and written comments will be recorded by EPD at the hearing. 

For more information, visit www.coosa.org