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New report: Reinstated ‘polluter pays’ taxes should speed up lagging toxic waste cleanup

Toxic threats

New report: Reinstated ‘polluter pays’ taxes should speed up lagging toxic waste cleanup

WASHINGTON -- For more than 20 years, the federal government’s “Superfund” program aimed at cleaning up toxic waste sites has languished for lack of funding. The program was originally funded by a tax on the chemical and petroleum industries, but those “polluter pays” taxes expired in 1995. When President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan infrastructure package (BIF) into law last month, a polluter pays tax was finally reinstated on chemical industries.

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Proposed plastics-to-fuel plant in Macon-Bibb is part of the problem, not the solution, to plastic pollution

Beyond plastic

Proposed plastics-to-fuel plant in Macon-Bibb is part of the problem, not the solution, to plastic pollution

Macon, GA – The Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority held a public hearing late in November concerning the issuance of $500 million in Exempt Facility Revenue Bonds to the company Brightmark Plastics Renewal Georgia, LLC. If approved by the Authority, the funds would be used to finance the largest plastics-to-fuel facility in the world. 

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Environment Georgia issues new toolkit on lead in school’s drinking water

Clean water

Environment Georgia issues new toolkit on lead in school’s drinking water

Environment Georgia released a new toolkit today to help parents, teachers and administrators Get the Lead Out of school drinking water. The new toolkit highlights the unprecedented federal funding available to school districts to install filtered hydration stations and take other measures to ensure safe drinking water.

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Groups issue new toolkit on lead in school’s drinking water

Clean water

Groups issue new toolkit on lead in school’s drinking water

With the bipartisan infrastructure bill now signed into law, Environment America Research & Policy Center (Environment America's research partner) and U.S. PIRG Education Fund (PIRG's research partner) released a new toolkit for parents and community leaders on Tuesday on how to get the lead out of schools’ drinking water. The infrastructure bill includes $200 million for schools to conduct lead reduction efforts.

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New report: Georgia among national leaders in solar power growth and electric vehicle adoption

Clean energy

New report: Georgia among national leaders in solar power growth and electric vehicle adoption

Atlanta, GA - Georgia ranks #7 in the nation for growth in solar power generation since 2011, cumulative electric vehicle sales through 2020, and public electric vehicle charging ports, according to a new report released today by Environment Georgia Research & Policy Center. Renewables on the Rise 2021: The rapid growth of renewables, electric vehicles and other building blocks of a clean energy future documents the growth of six key clean energy technologies across the U.S. over the past decade: solar power, wind power, battery storage, energy efficiency, electric vehicles and heat pumps. 

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New report: Trouble in the Air: 7.6 million Georgians experienced over 65 days of polluted air in 2020

Clean air

New report: Trouble in the Air: 7.6 million Georgians experienced over 65 days of polluted air in 2020

Atlanta, GA – Five urban centers and rural areas in Georgia, collectively home to over 7.6 million people, suffered through more than 65 days of elevated air pollution in 2020, according to a new report from Environment Georgia Research & Policy Center and the Frontier Group. Air pollution increases the risk of premature death, asthma attacks, cancer and other adverse health impacts, and causes 9,000 deaths every year in Georgia. 

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New report: Trouble in the Air: 7.6 million Georgians experienced over 65 days of polluted air in 2020

Clean air

New report: Trouble in the Air: 7.6 million Georgians experienced over 65 days of polluted air in 2020

Atlanta, GA – Five urban centers and rural areas in Georgia, collectively home to over 7.6 million people, suffered through more than 65 days of elevated air pollution in 2020, according to a new report from Environment Georgia Research & Policy Center and the Frontier Group. Air pollution increases the risk of premature death, asthma attacks, cancer and other adverse health impacts, and causes 9,000 deaths every year in Georgia. 

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Thousands urge EPA to protect waterways from pollution

Clean water

Thousands urge EPA to protect waterways from pollution

Nearly 30,000 people are urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to end the dumping of PFAS chemicals, and thousands more are telling the agency to dramatically reduce pollution from slaughterhouses. Environment America Research & Policy Center and U.S. PIRG Education Fund submitted comments from these individuals to the EPA Thursday as the agency considers updating pollution control standards, which is required by the Clean Water Act.  The groups are also calling on the EPA to strengthen standards for other industrial sources -- including power plants and refineries.

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