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Resident urges temporary shutdown of Highway 78 construction over erosion; county staff says EPD documented fixes
Summary
At a Haralson County meeting resident John Dewberry urged officials to halt work at 8107 Highway 78, saying erosion and hauling had damaged his property; county staff said the Environmental Protection Division inspected the site and some corrective work was documented.
John Dewberry, a Haralson County resident, urged the county commission during public comment to temporarily shut down site work at 8107 Highway 78, saying recent land clearing and hauling had caused mud and silt to wash onto his property and damaged household appliances.
Dewberry told commissioners he and county staff walked the site with permit personnel and that inspectors had at times ordered the work stopped, but that hauling resumed and erosion controls remained inadequate. "They built some retaining walls there trying to build a gas station ... the whole job not nowhere near up to code," Dewberry said.
County permit staff member Michael Nagy responded that the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) contacted him and inspected the site again, that he had shared photos and written violations with EPD, and that some corrective work had been done. "EPD contacted me for a second time ... I shared photos with the site with EPD, and I had satisfactory reply from EPD to myself," Nagy said.
A commissioner recommended the board consider a temporary shutdown of the site until the county and EPD are satisfied that erosion controls are corrected. County staff said enforcement options depend on whether county ordinances are stricter than EPD regulations; staff said they could enforce stricter county ordinances if applicable and could also press EPD to enforce state rules.
Why it matters: The resident said the erosion has caused visible property damage, muddying his water supply and affecting appliances, and asked the county to act to prevent ongoing harm. Staff reports of an EPD inspection indicate state regulators have been involved and that corrective steps were under way, but the commissioner’s recommendation signals local concern and a potential enforcement step.
What’s next: The transcript records a commissioner urging a temporary shutdown until the issues are corrected and staff coordinating with EPD. The record does not show a formal board vote to order a shutdown during this meeting.
