SAVANNAH’S MAYOR and council have it exactly right when it comes to pollution in the Ogeechee River.
What happens upstream affects things downstream.
Since Savannah and Chatham County are about 70 miles downriver from the King America Finishing plant implicated in last summer’s massive fish kill, it’s natural that Savannah City Council go on record and demand that state officials do a better job of protecting the river.
It’s also responsible government.
Indeed, the Chatham County Commission should take a similar stand. So should all county governments downriver from the plant, located in Screven County. That includes the Effingham County Commission, Bryan County Commission, Liberty County Commission and Bulloch County Commission.
“We need to do something before we kill the whole river basin in Chatham County,” said Savannah Alderman Tony Thomas, who represents the city’s southside.
His district includes portions of the Vernon and Forest rivers, which are affected by the Ogeechee as it makes its way to Ossabaw Sound and the Atlantic Ocean.
Savannah has a stake in keeping this coastal river system healthy, especially for recreation. Three years ago, city taxpayers spent $1.5 million to buy the Coffee Bluff Marina on the Forest River. The city is spending additional funds to turn that facility into a park, which includes fishing. Excessive, upstream pollution shouldn’t compromise this major public investment.
Savannah Mayor Edna Jackson agreed with Mr. Thomas that the council should pass “some kind of resolution” dealing with the Ogeechee, although she wasn’t specific. She asked the city’s staff to look into the issue.
There’s no time to tarry.
Last Friday, the state Environmental Protection Division, which operates under Gov. Nathan Deal, issued a new pollution discharge permit for King America, an out-of-state company based in Chicago. The new permit has tougher requirements than the old permit. But it doesn’t go far enough when it comes to limiting discharges of chromium, ammonia, sulfides, total phenols and other pollutants.
Alderman-at-large Tom Bordeaux is right on target when he said Ogeechee River pollution isn’t just a local issue. It’s a regional issue.
“We need to work together as a region,” he said.
Mr. Bordeaux is a former state lawmaker who knows how Georgia government works. He understands there’s power in numbers. A good way to get the governor to pay attention to what his EPD is doing is to show that the Ogeechee matters to citizens and local governments.
In the meantime, Georgia Sen. Johnny Isakson has asked his staff to study the possibility of federal involvement.
That’s encouraging. The more that the Ogeechee is scrutinized, the better for the river, the region and residents who call this area home.