If fictional detective Sherlock
Holmes were roaming under the Gold Dome, he could give us an “elementary” clue
why efforts to strengthen toxic coal-ash handling and disposal were killed this
year. “My dear Watson,” the
pipe-smoking sleuth would say: “Follow
the money.”
There’s
enormous money in garbage. Otherwise,
why would the richest man in the world, Bill Gates, own about 30 percent of
Republic Services, the second-largest waste-management firm in America? He also has a stake in Waste Management, the
nation’s biggest. Wall Street investors
love garbage. Other people’s trash is a
treasure to the waste-management industry.
And
why would Republic appoint a coal-ash guru to solicit and store toxic coal
ash? You don’t need Sherlock for
that. It’s all about the money, and
Georgia is ripe with millions of tons of coal ash. We learned that from Central Virginia
Properties’ stealth application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The previously unknown Republic subsidiary
told us Georgia-based Southern Company needs to get rid of its stockpiles of
toxic coal ash, and Broadhurst could be a good dumping point.
Georgia
Power maintains it has “no plans” to put coal ash in Wayne County, but I’d like
to see that in writing. I understand
Georgia Power’s challenge. What I don’t
understand is why companies such as Republic are determined to make Coastal
Georgia a sacrifice zone. Republic’s
landfill sits atop the Floridan Aquifer, a drinking-water source for millions
in Georgia and Florida. The landfill is
interlaced with wetlands, with nearby streams which flow into the Altamaha and
Satilla rivers. Both empty into the
Atlantic Ocean. The environmental risk
is just too great. So why did the
protective bills get axed before Crossover Day?
That’s easy: mountains of money and
political muscle.
Early
on in this modern-day David-and-Goliath battle, a former governor asked, “Have
you read Who Runs Georgia?” I had, but I pulled out my dusty copy of the
report on 1947 politics. Corporations, including Southern Power Company, were
dominant in running our state. Nothing
has changed since. In this year’s
session, Sherlock would say, “Look for the fingerprints of Georgia Power,
Republic and Gov. Nathan Deal. Those
clues will explain why the measures died in committee.” Georgia Power has a fleet of arguably the
best persuaders under the Gold Dome. One
of Republic’s lobbyists is former Secretary of State Lewis Massey. CSX is no novice, either.
Nathan
Deal is a pro-business governor. He
knows jobs are the key to building our economy, and his leadership has brought
Georgia the acclaim of being the best state in which to do business. I’m pro-business, too. For 46 years, I’ve poured my all into building
businesses, fostering economic development and creating jobs. Every other Wednesday, my signature is on
hundreds of paychecks. I applaud the
governor’s zeal for creating more employment.
As Georgia prospers, my associates and I prosper.
Likewise,
Georgia Power is a magnificent cog in our state’s economic engine. To label me—as some have tried—as an enemy of
Georgia Power is spinning a lie. For a
lifetime, I have admired its slogan: “A
Citizen Wherever We Serve.” My
efforts haven’t been to harm Gov. Deal, his administration, Georgia Power,
Republic or CSX. My passion is for
responsible handling of toxic coal ash.
You don’t solve one problem by creating another.
Hauling
and dumping toxic waste in unsuitable places because it’s the cheapest option
is irresponsible. We don’t want soggy
and porous Coastal Georgia to be turned into an environmental prostitute with
greedy corporations serving as our pimps.
Never! If you aren’t willing to fight for the people
and place you love, what kind of person are you?
Georgians
deserve more protective laws for toxic coal-ash handling and disposal. We cannot stop with 2017’s failure to
accomplish that goal. But in the meantime,
if Sherlock Holmes were wielding his magnifying glass, he’d analyze the clues
and conclude: “My dear Watson, when it
comes to politics … it’s not called Georgia Power
for naught.”
dnesmith@cninewspapers.com
