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Georgia EPD outlines priorities for air, water and land protection; flags PFOS lab testing and regional water planning
Summary
Environmental Protection Division director Jeff Cowan briefed the committee on EPD's role in permitting, monitoring, emergency response and laboratory testing capacity, including PFOS testing and regional water planning for coastal and southwest Georgia.
Jeff Cowan, director of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, told the House Natural Resources & Environment Committee that EPD's core mission is to "protect and restore Georgia's environment" by ensuring clean air, water and land in partnership with local governments and other agencies.
Cowan outlined primary program areas: watershed protection (issuing wastewater and water withdrawal permits, monitoring water quality and managing nonpoint-source grants), air protection (state air-monitoring network, emissions inventories and vehicle inspection program), land protection (solid and hazardous waste permitting and cleanup, underground storage tank oversight), and district operations (local compliance, complaint response and emergency response).
Cowan said EPD operates an environmental laboratory capable of testing drinking water, wastewater and emerging contaminants. He highlighted PFOS/PFOA (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) testing capacity and said the lab will support communities facing increased testing demands as federal and state attention on PFAS grows. He noted EPD conducts roughly 1,000 laboratory samples per week and that the division performs about 4,000 complaint responses a year through its district offices.
On planning and regulation, Cowan described ongoing regional water planning efforts and upcoming meetings of the Coastal Water Council. He said EPD issues permits for water withdrawals by local governments, farmers and industry and conducts dam safety oversight and emergency response for incidents such as spills and fires. He also said EPD maintains 34 air monitors statewide and continues to work with federal EPA on issues including PM2.5 standards and state implementation planning.
Committee members thanked EPD for emergency responses to incidents such as the Golden Ray salvage and other coastal responses and noted interest in accelerating water planning for coastal counties. Cowan said EPD will make staff and materials available for follow-up briefings and technical discussion.
The director's remarks were presented as a high-level overview; committee members requested deeper technical briefings from branch directors later in the session.
