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Georgia House committee hears EPD briefing, delays vote on plan to shrink regional water councils
Summary
EPD officials briefed the House Natural Resources & Environment Committee on proposed amendments to the State Water Council that would reduce appointments to regional water planning councils; coastal advocates and the Georgia Water Coalition urged preserving broad representation. The committee did not vote and left next steps to the legislative process.
At a meeting of the House Natural Resources & Environment committee, officials from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division presented proposed changes to the State Water Council's appointment structure and committee members heard public comment opposing the changes. The committee did not take a vote and members were asked to review the materials before any legislative action.
Jeff Cowan, an Environmental Protection Division official, introduced agency materials including maps and fact sheets and said the presentation was intended as a tutorial for committee members. Anya Traczynski of EPD summarized the history of Georgia's water planning framework, noting the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District Act (2001), the Comprehensive Statewide Water Management Planning Act (2004) and the State Water Plan that led to creation of regional water planning councils in 2008.
Traczynski told the committee the State Water Council and EPD recommended reducing the…
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