| HB 0177 |
Neutral | Oconee River Greenway Authority; change the membership |
Wilkinson, Joe 52nd |
|---|
|
7/1/2013 |
House - Effective Date |
NR&E |
NR&E |
- |
|
|
| |
| HB 0199 |
Neutral | Expand GEFA's Reservoir Fund for Leak Detection and Conservation |
Lindsey, Edward 54th |
|---|
|
1/13/2014 |
Senate Recommitted |
NR&E |
NR&E |
- |
|
|
| This legislation expands the uses of the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority's Reservoir Fund to cover leak-detection, conservation-type and other water supply system assets. The Reservoir Fund will be renamed the "Georgia Reservoir and Water Supply Fund." While ACCG certainly recognizes the importance of leak detection and conservation, GEFA currently has about $318 in loaning capacity available for these purposes via its Georgia Fund, Clean Water and Drinking Water loan programs; whereas the Reservoir Fund only has $41 million in loaning capacity. |
| HB 0225 |
Oppose | General Assembly must First Approve All EPD Rules |
Kirby, Tom 114th |
|---|
|
2/8/2013 |
House - House Second Readers |
NR&E |
- | - |
|
|
| Current law provides that the General Assembly can stay and override rules and regulations of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), except in cases where EPD is following federal directives as part of its delegated powers. This legislation would require that the General Assembly first approve any EPD rules and regulations before they can take effect. |
| HB 0226 |
Neutral | Revising Used/Scrap Tire Transportation Storage and Disposal Laws |
Nix, Randy 69th |
|---|
|
4/30/2013 |
House - Effective Date |
NR&E |
NR&E |
- |
|
|
| This legislation adds several definitions to aid in EPD's enforcement of organics management and the hauling and storage of scrap tires. The bill defines compost and composting as an aerobic process and defines and limits who can transport used and scrap tires, not new tires. It authorizes, but does not require, local law and code enforcement agencies to enforce Georgia's used/scrap tire laws and limits the amount of scrap tires that can be stored by tire retailers, tire retreaders, salvage yards and the general public. Local governments would be exempted from the tire hauling registration and quantity restrictions. |
| HB 0276 |
Support | Hazardous Waste Trust Fund - Fixing the Redirection of Fees |
Nimmer, Chad 178th |
|---|
|
5/7/2013 |
House Date Signed by Governor |
NR&E |
NR&E |
- |
|
|
| This legislation renews the fees that make up the Hazardous Waste Trust Fund (hazardous waste transporting, disposal, and the state's 75-cent-per-ton solid waste tipping fees, among others) for five years, from July 1, 2013 to July 1, 2018. Since 2004, over 60 percent of these fees have been redirected to the state's general fund, not going toward their statutorily-dedicated purpose of cleaning up hazardous sites, including old county landfills.
The bill applies a fee-reduction mechanism (also found in HB 127) to fix the redirection of HWTF and Solid Waste Trust Fund fees. If fees for these two trust funds are not appropriated for their designated purposes, then the fees will be proportionately reduced the following year.
Addressing the redirection of these fees was one of ACCG's policy priorities this legislative session.
Click here for a chart and summary of the HWTF's redirected fees since 2004. Click here for a chart and summary of the SWTF's redirected fees since 2004. |
| HB 0320 |
Support | Inert Landfills - Exempt from DNR Rule |
Harden, Buddy 148th |
|---|
|
7/1/2013 |
House - Effective Date |
NR&E |
NR&E |
- |
|
|
| In January of 2013, the Board of Natural Resources adopted rules taking inert landfills out of the "permit-by-rule" category and requiring facility owners to instead obtain a solid waste handling permit which entails additional, substantive regulations and costs. This bill exempts from that new rule any inert landfill, public or private, which as of January 1, 2014 is certified by a professional engineer as being in full compliance with all permit-by-rule requirements as they previously existed before the DNR rule change. |
| HB 0357 |
Neutral | Hazardous Sites - Revisions to Voluntary Remediation Program |
McCall, Tom 33rd |
|---|
|
2/20/2013 |
House - House Second Readers |
NR&E |
- | - |
|
|
| This legislation is identical to SB 176. In 2009, Georgia passed the Voluntary Remediation Program (VRP) as a public/private partnership program to clean up hazardous sites. This legislation makes significant revisions to the VRP, allowing it to be used for HSRA, Brownfields and RCRA sites as well. It also changes cost recovery mechanisms for contaminated ground water clean up; strengthens credential requirements of those implementing a VRP corrective action; streamlines/reduces the VRP application and reporting provisions; alters how restrictive covenants are used by the EPD Director; limits liability for some property owners; allows the option of basing groundwater cleanup on current and reasonably foreseeable future use; alters liability for land purchasers who apply within 30 days after closing; and allows Georgia citizens the right of appeal under HSRA, among other provisions. Please let ACCG know of any concerns you may have with this bill. |
| HB 0402 |
Neutral | Shore Protection and Coastal Marshlands Protection Acts - Revisions |
Stephens, Ron 164th |
|---|
|
7/1/2013 |
House - Effective Date |
NR&E |
NR&E |
- |
|
|
| This legislation provides a variance procedure under the Coastal Marshlands Protection Act to allow for temporary activities within protected areas (i.e., television and movie sets/filming). |
| HB 0515 |
Support | Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District; prohibition on interbasin transfer from certain rivers; provide exemption |
Geisinger, Harry 48th |
|---|
|
3/4/2013 |
House - House Second Readers |
NR&E |
- | - |
|
|
| This legislation allows the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District to study and plan for interbasin transfers from rivers with an annual average flow of at least 15 billion gallons per day at the withdrawal point so long as it is approved by the county in which the withdrawal point is located.
|
| HB 0549 |
Support | Water Pollution Spills - Counties to Assist in Public Notice |
Burns, Jon 159th |
|---|
|
7/1/2014 |
Effective Date |
NR&E |
NR&E |
- |
|
|
| This legislation requires county emergency management agencies and health departments (once they are notified by the Environmental Proteciton Division) to place a public notice when there is a spill of pollutants that is reasonably expected to be a hazard to the public health and safety, to private and public drinking water supplies, or to animals, birds or aquatic life. |
| HB 0595 |
Oppose | Eliminate Local Government's Ability to File a Tax Lien for Deliquent Garbage Bills |
Harrell, Brett 106th |
|---|
|
3/14/2013 |
House - House Second Readers |
NR&E |
- | - |
|
|
| This legislation prohibits counties, cities and other government authorities from putting a lien against a property for unpaid solid waste disposal taxes, fees or assessments.
|
| HB 0741 |
Support | Septage Land Application Sites - Consistent with Local Zoning |
Kevin Tanner |
|---|
|
4/23/2014 |
House Date Signed by Governor |
NR&E |
NR&E |
- |
|
|
| This legislation requires those applying for septage land application permits to provide the EPD with a letter verifying that the proposed site complies with a jurisdiction's local zoning and land use ordinances. If a public hearing is held in the application process, it must occur in the same jurisdiction where the proposed site is to be located. |
| HB 0864 |
Evaluating | Returning Water to Stream of Origin - Meet Mandates or No New Connections |
Johnnie Caldwell Jr. |
|---|
|
1/31/2014 |
House Second Readers |
NR&E |
- | - |
|
|
| This legislation is similar to bills introduced every session. Beginning July 1, 2016, any local government/authority/utility withdrawing water must measure how much water it withdraws from a source and how much treated water it returns to that same source on a monthly basis. In 2016, the government/utility must return 25 percent of the water to the source; by 2019, it must return 50 percent to the source; and by 2024, it must return 75 percent or the source. If the local government does not meet these mandated targets, monthly, its water system will not be allowed to provide any new water service connections until targets are met. |
| HB 0908 |
Neutral | Reauthorize Solid Waste Trust Fund |
Lynne Riley |
|---|
|
6/30/2014 |
Effective Date |
NR&E |
NR&E |
- |
|
|
| This legislation extends the sunset for the scrap tire fee from June 30, 2014, until June 30, 2019. This fee generates about $6 million annually and is supposed to fund the Solid Waste Trust Fund (for scrap tire clean up, landfill clean ups, litter reduction and recycling efforts at the local level). Over 60 percent of all funds have been redirected to balance the state's general fund since 2004 instead of being used for their statutorily-designated purpose. |
| HB 0957 |
Evaluating | Georgia Brownfield Act - Liability of Certain Purchasers |
Chuck Williams |
|---|
|
7/1/2014 |
Effective Date |
NR&E |
NR&E |
- |
|
|
| This legislation changes the Georgia Hazardous Site Reuse and Redevelopment Act to the Georgia Brownfield Act, as well as changes the liability of certain purchasers of brownfield property.
|
| HR 1279 |
Neutral | Savannah River Basin; development of water management plan; encourage |
Alan Powell |
|---|
|
3/7/2014 |
House Passed/Adopted |
NR&E |
- | - |
|
|
| |
| HR 1305 |
Neutral | CEBLA Water Supply Task Force; create |
Ron Stephens |
|---|
|
2/17/2014 |
House Second Readers |
NR&E |
- | - |
|
|
| |
| SB 0011 |
Support | Reauthorize the Georgia Geospatial Advisory Council |
Carter, Buddy 1st |
|---|
|
5/7/2013 |
Senate - Veto V5 |
NR&E |
NR&E |
- |
|
|
| This legislation reauthorizes the Georgia Geospatial Advisory Council to audit Georgia's geospatial capabilities at the county, regional and state level. |
| SB 0156 |
Evaluating | Borrow Pits - Forresty Exemption |
Tolleson, Ross 20th |
|---|
|
7/1/2013 |
Senate - Effective Date |
NR&E |
NR&E |
- |
|
|
| This legislation excludes excavated areas of fewer than five acres incidental to forestry land management from the definition of "borrow pit" so long as no earthen material is removed for sale. |
| SB 0210 |
Support | Georgia Legacy Program |
Tolleson, Ross 20th |
|---|
|
3/12/2013 |
House - House Second Readers |
NR&E |
NR&E |
- |
|
|
| This legislation creates the Georgia Legacy Program, a successor organization for the Georgia Land Conservation Trust Fund and the Georgia Land Conservation Revolving Loan Fund. The Georgia Legacy Program is designed to provide funding options to acquire critical areas for clean water, game, wildlife or natural resource based outdoor recreation, as well as support local parks, trails and programs for good health.
Additional information can be found here. |
| SB 0299 |
Neutral | Stream Buffers - Reduce 150-foot Buffer Requirement Upstream from Reservoirs/Water Intakes |
Steve Gooch |
|---|
|
7/1/2014 |
Effective Date |
NR&E |
NR&E |
- |
|
|
| Current Department of Natural Resources rules require 150-foot stream buffers on waters seven miles upstream of drinking water reservoirs and intakes, allowing some variances if other water protection measures are taken. This bill allows these buffers to be decreased so long as the local government submits a watershed protection plan to EPD (and it is approved) that still maintains water quality. The state's 25-foot (all streams) and 50-foot buffers (trout streams) are not impacted by this legislation.
|
| SB 0361 |
Neutral | Georgia Geospatial Advisory Council |
Buddy Carter |
|---|
|
7/1/2014 |
Effective Date |
NR&E |
NR&E |
- |
|
|
| This legislation would create the Georgia Geospatial Advisory Council. The Council will audit the geospatial capabilities at the state and local level. The audit shall make recommendations for utilizing geospatial data capabilities to meet FEMA notification requirements, recommendations for moving forward to achieve governmental data interoperability and enhanced delivery of services to Georgia's citizens through the geospatial approach. |
