Coal Elicits Community Concern

.
The University of Georgia's Sierra Student Coalition and UGA Beyond Coal convened at the Athens Clarke County Public Library to voice environmental concerns during a public hearing held by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division's Air Protection Branch.

Local residents joined the university organization's opposition as UGA
awaits the approval to renew its Title V Air Quality Permit. Title V is a section of the 1995 Clean Air Act that requires permits for major sources of pollution are submitted for renewal every five years with public input.

"For four years, students at UGA have been asking the administration to be
a leader in clean energy development and retire the outdated on-campus
coal-fired steam boiler that threatens our health," said David Littman, UGA Beyond Coal member.

UGA holds a permit for three incinerators, a repair shop paint booth, and eight boilers.  Seven of the university's boilers are natural gas and oil fired and one boiler is coal fired.

"We are here to talk about what we can do and what we can't so. We are
bound by the law. We do not have the authority to force UGA to replace
coal boiler. Of course everyone wants clean air but as far as the
authority to force UGA to change, we do not have the authority. We
don't make the policy we are just the police officers that enforce
it," said Eric Cornwall, Stationary Source Permitting Program Manager.

Public testimony and input will be considered in the agency's decision
to renew the university's permit.