Despite vigilant environmentalists and environmental laws, wrongdoing still endangers the purity of waters in Georgia and beyond. In an effort to target the preventable water contamination in Georgia that is caused by lax rules or the lax following of environmental laws, local conservationists put together what’s called the “Dirty Dozen” list every year.
Some might hope that there wouldn’t be enough waters at-risk of pollution to make a list of one dozen problem spots, but that hope is met with the reality that there are at least 12 areas of water in Georgia that environmentalists see as needing increased protection.
Among the reported problem waters is a familiar place. Environmentalists fear that power plants are putting dangerous chemicals into the Ogeechee as well as the Oconee rivers. The Altamaha River also made the list due to what conservationists believe is the pollution coming from a large pulp mill on the waterway.
As the above examples from the “Dirty Dozen” list show, the list is about addressing potential water contamination that could be stopped or at least effectively reduced with stricter regulations. Also, businesses that neglect to follow environmental laws such as proper waste disposal or discharge regulations should be required to improve their business processes.
According to a member of the Georgia Water Coalition, the list isn’t about simply naming polluted waters. It is about addressing where changes must be made in order to improve the health of this state’s invaluable waters. Other waters on the list are the Chattahoochee River, the Savannah River, Lake Alice and more.
Source: Savannah Morning News, “‘Dirty dozen’ includes proposed changes to beach, marsh laws,” Mary Landers, Nov. 14, 2013