Perdue’s water task force closed to public
A series of major legal setbacks has finally forced Georgia officials to face reality: Metro Atlanta could actually, really, for sure and no kidding, lose its legal right to draw so much water from Lake Lanier.
The consequences could be dire. If a deal with our neighboring states can’t be cut by July 2012, it won’t be a question of trying to find enough water to support continued growth. Instead, we’ll be scrambling for enough water to supply those of us already here.
With that deadline in mind, Gov. Sonny Perdue has named a Water Contingency Task Force. The group, which held its first meeting last month at the Governor’s Mansion, is tasked with producing recommendations before the Legislature convenes in January.
According to Bert Brantley, Perdue’s spokesman, the task force is searching for options that are “the most readily available and cost-effective available, options that you can bring online as fast as possible.”
“If you had been at the Mansion, you would have heard the governor tell the task force that ‘everything is on the table,’ ” Brantley told me this week. “He told them to look at literally everything.”
Of course, I wasn’t at that meeting to hear the governor say that. You probably weren’t either, because both the press and the public were barred from attending. The task force is being funded with taxpayers’ money; it is producing recommendations that will be critical to the future of the state. But the people of Georgia, the people whose lives, property and jobs are likely to be affected, are forbidden to watch.
It’s also interesting to note the makeup of the task force. In many states, a panel created to do such important work would be thoroughly seeded with experts in the field — hydrologists, people who know water law, environmental experts, scientists. It might also have a broad range of citizens, from businesspeople to community leaders.
But this being Georgia, the Perdue task force is dominated by corporate executives. By my count, more than 50 of its 87 members are corporate executives, bankers, developers or utility officials. Sixteen are government officials.
Just four represent environmental groups, and three of those four groups — the Nature Conservancy, the Conservation Fund and the Trust for Public Lands — are land-acquisition organizations with little expertise in water issues.
According to Brantley, the extreme overrepresentation of business interests doesn’t matter.
“You’re assuming that businesspeople can’t be environmentalists, too,” he said, repeating a line also used to excuse the dominance of business interests on the state Board of Natural Resources.
Personally, I think it’s a silly argument. It requires you to believe that personal background and perspective aren’t important in how you assess a situation. A lot of businesspeople are very smart. But I’m not sure what makes them so much more qualified than Georgians of other backgrounds to ponder this issue.
According to Brantley, the task force will look at “every possible idea you’ve seen thrown out, from desalinization to fixing pipes.” It will gauge each according to cost, yield and speed of implementation.
But will corporate executives who are by instinct averse to regulation try to downplay mandated conservation as part of the solution? Will bankers and developers naturally favor the construction of major reservoirs that would also produce thousands of lakeside lots to be sold? Will water-dependent businesses try to push the burden of conservation onto homeowners? Will real estate people oppose the idea of requiring low-flow toilets before a house can be sold?
The makeup of the task force doesn’t exactly ease such concerns. In fact, it seems designed to ensure a certain set of outcomes and preclude others.
Concern about the direction of state policy is heightened by the sudden resignation of Carol Couch, director of the state Environmental Protection Division. Couch, a scientist with a background in hydrology and biology who had been deeply involved in water issues, quit unexpectedly last month with just a week’s notice and without real explanation. She was quickly replaced by Allen Barnes, a law partner at King and Spalding, which often represents corporate interests in environmental cases.
The task force’s job is very important, and its membership includes a lot of good people. But the closed process and membership betray the same value system that helped to create this mess in the first place.
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172 comments Add your comment
N-GA
November 13th, 2009
7:47 am
Maybe it would be better if all of these participants had to compete in a SimCity game that was modified to encompass Tennessee, North & South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. The result would probably be better than what we can expect from them with a simulator.
Normal
November 13th, 2009
7:53 am
Sounds to me like with the people Sonny has picked for his Task Force, camel dealerships might be a good business venture. The Geat South Eastern Georgia Desert is about to become a reality…
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm!
November 13th, 2009
7:55 am
But this being Georgia, the Perdue task force is dominated by corporate executives. By my count, more than 50 of its 87 members are corporate executives, bankers, developers or utility officials.
Despite what you think bookman, the press doesn’t produce anything of value.
We’ll be sure to let you know what we decide.
Mrs. Godzilla
November 13th, 2009
7:56 am
Sonny Perdue…..can’t hold his water????
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm!
November 13th, 2009
8:00 am
Here comes the next big bomb to explode on the economy-
Fannie and Freddie also acquired $2.2 trillion in subprime loans and private securities backed by subprime loans from 1997 to 2007. Acorn and the other advocacy groups succeeded at getting Congress to mandate “innovative and flexible” lending practices such as higher debt ratios and creative definitions of income. And the serious delinquency rate on Fannie and Freddie’s $1.5 trillion in high-risk loans was 10.3% as of Sept. 30, 2009.-WSJ
And the libs in the Senate scheme and plot the one after this. Or two after this.
And you wonder why Purdue locks the press out.
Normal
November 13th, 2009
8:07 am
I wonder how ACORN got a Republican run Congress to mandate those loans…hhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmm?
Boogers for the Children Fund
November 13th, 2009
8:07 am
The press has not business and more importantly no need to be in these meetings. More than ever the old saying “too many cooks spoil the soup” is applicable in todays society.
All this garbage about “being engaged” and “we are all on the same team” and blah blah blah. All lip service and quite disheartening when certain team members refuse to pull their load. At most companies ineffective management from top to bottom.
We need to bring back the good ole days of firing people. Let that happen and the rest will fall in line.
That being said Sonny-boy needs to do the same and keeping the press out is a step in the right direction.
Doggone/GA
November 13th, 2009
8:11 am
Boo…none of that means a thing. Here’s the bottom line: it is OUR MONEY they are going to spend…but without giving us ANY INPUT to how it is spent. Ever heard of sunshine laws?
N-GA
November 13th, 2009
8:12 am
The “Smoke-filled Room” will allow Perdue and his cronies to steal from the poor and give it to the rich. The old Robbing Hood ploy…
@@
November 13th, 2009
8:13 am
…and Obama is gonna host “a forum” at the WH to figure out how to get people back to work.
There’s a humorous little ditty about forming committees to solve problems. Don’t have time to search for it. Anyway, it ends up something like this……
“The horse is dead! Get another horse.”
Water? Clayton County?
We’ve got ours, get your own!
jt
November 13th, 2009
8:13 am
Thank you Governor Perdue for saving the tax-payer some money.
It has been proven that the press eat more pig-n-a-blankets, they stash buffet food in their gear bags, and are notorious for double-dipping in the chip dip.
They also cheef gubanatorial china and towels.
N-GA
November 13th, 2009
8:13 am
If Perdue had nothing to hide, he would let the Public see what’s going on. Just sayin’
N-GA
November 13th, 2009
8:14 am
We voters could use a little “transparency in government” here.
jt
November 13th, 2009
8:15 am
The only worse offenders are lawyers.
N-GA
November 13th, 2009
8:16 am
All you people whining about the Obama Administration not being transparent, what do you say about Perdue? Hypocrisy is sure loud!
Pennsylvanian
November 13th, 2009
8:17 am
Rerun? Sonny – Disband the task force. I solved the problem last week. Call me.
Next?
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm!
November 13th, 2009
8:21 am
I wonder how ACORN got a Republican run Congress to mandate those loans…hhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmm?
Probably the same way that the army allowed a Muslim terrorist to conduct hate lectures on their bases, send all of his pay to the Taliban and chit chat with al Qaeda on his cellphone.
Fear of being castigated by the goon liberal mob?
I got to give you pinkos some credit, you have figured out one of the weaknesses of America, we are decent caring people that strive to do the right thing, so you take advantage of that by calling the right thing “extremism.”
It’s too bad that we are too stupid to figure this out and run you out of this country on a rail.
N-GA
November 13th, 2009
8:23 am
The only truth in your post is: “It’s too bad we are too stupid……”
Doggone/GA
November 13th, 2009
8:24 am
87 members? that’s not a task force…it’s a MOB
Doggone/GA
November 13th, 2009
8:26 am
“The only truth in your post ”
Nah, he got one other thing right: “we are decent caring people that strive to do the right thing” – problem is he doesn’t seem to realize that a blanket statement like that applies to ALL OF US, not just the “too stupid” people. IOW, he complimented us “pinkos” without seeming to realize that’s what he’s done!
TnGelding
November 13th, 2009
8:33 am
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm!
November 13th, 2009
8:00 am
You wish. Sorry, but you’re barking up the wrong tree…..again.
Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink. We waste enough to make up for any restrictions. Sonny, let the sun shine in!
Lewis
November 13th, 2009
8:34 am
This group needs to hold open meetings and fully comply with Georgia’s Sunshine Lws. Why doesn’t the AJC fle a lawsuit to force compliance? Or the Georgia First Amendment Foundation? Or Common Cause? Why do Atlantans let our leaders get away with such disdain for democracy?
Mitch
November 13th, 2009
8:34 am
Jay, I’m curious, do you consider yourself an environmentalist? Sorry, because of your elementary school level intelligence litmus test, you cant be. You work for a newspaper, which kills no telling how many trees every day to put out rubbish like this column. So, you are obviously hell bent on destroying the environment and cannot be trusted because of your job.
Shooshines
November 13th, 2009
8:38 am
Obama to weed out Bush political appointees who careered in; Establishes new political test for career jobs UPDATED!
“In no case may an agency make an appointment of the type described below without written authorization from OPM”:
“A. The appointment of a current political Schedule A or Schedule C Executive Branch employee or a former political Schedule A or Schedule C Executive Branch employee who held the position within the last five years to a competitive or non-political excepted service position under title 5 of the U.S. Code.
“B.The appointment of a current Non-career SES Executive Branch employee or a former Non-career SES Executive Branch employee who held the position within the last five years to a competitive or non-political excepted service position under title 5 of the U.S. Code.”
In other words, if you worked for President Bush in the executive branch at any time during his second term in the White House, you may not be approved. The same applies if you worked for a Republican Member of Congress at any point during the past five years.
Doggone/GA
November 13th, 2009
8:39 am
“which kills no telling how many trees every day to put out rubbish like this column.”
I guess we should stop building homes too. Just think of how many trees THOSE kill? I also guess you have NEVER heard of sustainable forest management either.
danjonglee
November 13th, 2009
8:46 am
Here’s a list of what you would get with religious environmental groups involved:
1)remind everyone businesses are raping the earth and stealing its riches, thus causing all of the water shortages
2)advocate a greater government control of land, resources, and industries
3)increase the constantly growing guilt levels
4)No solutions
Gale
November 13th, 2009
8:46 am
“But this being Georgia,…” says it all, including many of the responses I have read so far. I am not concerned that the press and public are blocked AT THIS TIME. It is a large task force and if they do it right, a public forum will get in the way of productive work. That said, I am concerned about the lack of environmentalists and hydrologists. As Jay noted, businessmen are likely to come up with business solutions. If the scientists were a bigger part of the team, I would hope the businessmen could use their experience to listen to their recomendations and assist if forming a workable solution. Neither group can function alone to find a solution for the -three- states. Let us not forget that Alabama and Florida have an interest in the GA water resource decisions, court orders aside.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm!
November 13th, 2009
8:48 am
IOW, he complimented us “pinkos” without seeming to realize that’s what he’s done!
Gosh, maybe that’s why I said “I have to give you pinkos credit.”
Let’s examine health care for a moment, the democrat bill will cut care to the elderly, ration care for everybody else, put people in jail, raise your taxes, create death panels, just about every nightmare scenario that you can impose on a person’s freedom and life, and it is for what? So that a bunch of illegal immigrants can flood the doctor’s office and abortions are free? The trial lawyers can double their clientele?
And what do the liberals have to say about the right thinking Conservative opposition to this monstrosity? That we don’t care, we are out to get the poor, blah, blah, blah.
How many people want some hysterical pinko yelling all kinds of nonsense at them?
They just fold up, trampled by political correctness.
stands for decibels
November 13th, 2009
8:48 am
will corporate executives who are by instinct averse to regulation try to downplay mandated conservation as part of the solution?
Gosh, I don’t know! You might as well ask if those same guys will try to blame forthcoming problems on imaginary “environmental whackos”. Or if a bear poops in the woods. Who can say?
Fox Hound
November 13th, 2009
8:50 am
Our governor is smarter than you think. Sonny knows the only force stong enough to fix our water shortage is economic greed. So some “quality of life kinda stuff” gets destroyed in the process. Hey, the Georgia Bulldawgs are still gonna play their season!! So stop yer bellyachin!
stands for decibels
November 13th, 2009
8:53 am
Hey, the Georgia Bulldawgs are still gonna play their season!
Georgians do love them some socialized football.
Gale
November 13th, 2009
8:54 am
I’m curious. Why is the football team consistently referred to with the spelling DAWG. Is there a point to that? Please be gentle with the answer. I do not follow sports at all. But living in Georgia, I feel I ought to understand this one.
Joey
November 13th, 2009
8:55 am
Question: Is the debate with Florida and Alabama a debate with almost exclusively politicians and business people? If so maybe business people and politicians are the better choice for Georgia’s team.
stands for decibels
November 13th, 2009
8:57 am
with the spelling DAWG. Is there a point to that?
It is allegedly lovable and folksy to spell things phonetically. Speshully when it comes to items related to edjumakation and akka-demmiks.
Redneck Convert (R--and proud of it)
November 13th, 2009
8:57 am
Well, it ought to be closed to the public. The Bible says when you pray you’re suppose to do it in private, except when you maybe want to do it for show, like in Sunday morning services. Last time I looked, old Sonny’s Water Plan was prayer. Maybe this time he won’t get all the preachers out on the capitol steps with him to fix the problem. I figure a bunch of rich people praying with him in private will be more powerful.
Well, I got alot of hauling to do if all the bars and stores are going to have enough beer for you drunks tonight, so I’m off of this blog for now. Have a good day everybody.
jconservative
November 13th, 2009
9:05 am
Water crisis? Nonsense. Dig a bunch of big holes & fill the holes with water. We call them lakes. Will it take money? Sure. Can we recover the funds? Sure. When the State buys the land (third party purchase-Purdue is good at this) sell the lakeside lots for a bundle. You can sell the lots while the holes are being dug.
joe matarotz
November 13th, 2009
9:12 am
Alex, I’ll take Governement Doings for a thousand.
Answer: They are both as transparent as a cinder block.
(Cue the Jeopardy theme.)
Question: What do Sonny’s water task force and Obama’s senate health care hearing have in common?
Joey
November 13th, 2009
9:12 am
I am a big believer in water conservation. But conservation by the user at the point of consumption is only part of the water conservation picture.
Conservation of water begins or should begin as conservation of rainfall. Any Green or Sustainable organization will tell you the importance of catching rainwater in barrels or on roofs or in cisterns for reuse. But few if any will endorse construction of new reserviors in order to catch this same rainwater for reuse. To catch this rainwater in a larger more manageable facility.
The recent heavey rains and flooding amplifies the opportunities wasted by allowing all of that water to flow through Georgia or anyother state uncaptured. No I am not endorsing constructing a dam on every stream.
Lanier provides an excellent example. In the last few weeks it has captured rainwater and runoff that raised its pool 6 to 8 feet. And this is while the Corp of Engineers actively drawing the level down almost two feet over that same period.
A critical element of the Conservation or our Natural Resource, rainwater is to catch excessive rainfall and hold it for future use.
Taxpayer
November 13th, 2009
9:12 am
Clearly, all one need do to ensure continued growth and real-estate related prosperity is to build a dam around existing flood-proned areas of the state such as Douglas and Cobb Counties, for starters.
I would like to know more about Ms. Couch’s departure though. We need people in certain positions that actually believe in science and understand that things like microscopic bacteria that cannot be seen with the naked eye can kill, etc. What life preserving value does a lawyer bring to Ms. Couch’s former position. For some reason, I just am not left with the impression that this replacement for Ms. Couch is the Erin Brockovich type. Visions of peanutty butter and sugar dust just keep dancing around in my head. Someone care to dispel my doubts regarding this change.
retiredds
November 13th, 2009
9:14 am
Transparency in a Republican dominated state!!!! Jay what planet are you on? No way the powerful donors to the GA Republicans are going to let that happen. Let’s remember, Sonny and the Legislature know what’s best for the common folk of GA.
Slugworth
November 13th, 2009
9:16 am
Whatever comes out of this, the Legislature will still be a free-for-all with the special interests that don’t get their way here carving out their exemptions through individual bills. That way, if Bookman’s suspicion that all conservation measures will fall on the homeowner, the green (nursery/landscape/sod/turf) industry can still pass a bill to ensure that unessential outdoor watering remains an inherent right. Mark my words on this one as the legislation is coming.
Jackie
November 13th, 2009
9:18 am
The Repub mantra, CONFLATE, EXTRAPOLATE, OBFUSCATE.
The governor will “perform” his duties in private using taxpayer dollars to further an agenda that most likely not be in the best interest of the metro area.
The same mindset of “putting Atlanta in its place” seems to be in effect, without taking into account the metro area is the economic engine of the Southeastern United States. Ready, aim, shoot yourself in the foot.
Mort Merkel
November 13th, 2009
9:18 am
I read in the Chattanooga paper that Georgia lakes lose 150 million gallons of water a day to evaporation during summer. And, that if you pump treated drinking water in the ground during the winter when demand is low, you can draw it back out (without evaporation) during the summer when demand is higher. The article said San Antonio has billions of gallons of water in aquifer storage, taking out only what they put in, not drawing down the natural groundwater.
Bosch
November 13th, 2009
9:19 am
Again, Republicans trying to find solutions to an environmental issue is like a Baptist woman planning and directing a gay wedding. It’s not in their DNA to do so. I just hope that he has some people who know what they are doing on this “task force” instead of a group of his GOP cronies.
mike
November 13th, 2009
9:21 am
Jackie –
Yeah, Perdue should operate a nontransparent administration like President Obama.
getalife
November 13th, 2009
9:22 am
Let us pray.
Please stop raining.
There ya go.
No secret.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm!
November 13th, 2009
9:22 am
Democratic lobbyist Steve Elmendorf says the White House focus on deficit reduction could easily kill the cap-and-trade effort. “I think this means cap-and-trade has to go to the backburner,” he said.-Politico
bwa
Obama has spent more money on new programs in nine months than Bill Clinton did in eight years, pushing the annual deficit to $1.4 trillion. This leaves little room for big spending initiatives.
Yeah, Bush’s fault, haha, mmm, mmmm, mmmmm!
Joey
November 13th, 2009
9:22 am
Have we concluded that the Alabama/Florida/Georgia water conflict is purely an environmental issue?
Jackie
November 13th, 2009
9:25 am
@mike
Yes, he should!!
mike
November 13th, 2009
9:25 am
Bosch –
“Again, Republicans trying to find solutions to an environmental issue is like a Baptist woman planning and directing a gay wedding”
Are you really saying that Perdue is not trying to find a solution to the water issue?
I know that folks here are desperate to fling around gross overgeneralizations about those who dare not share their intrinsically correct views, but try to keep to keep reality in sight when doing so. Perdue is just as sincere in his attempts to find a solution to these water issues as are the people who are smart enough to share your political views.