Georgia House Exempted GDOT From Georgia Environmental Policy Act Without Votes Of Oconee County Representatives

The Georgia House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly yesterday to exempt the Georgia Department of Transportation from the provisions of the Georgia Environmental Policy Act for road projects costing less than $100 million.

The vote likely will exempt GDOT from being required to file reports on the environmental, cultural, historical and archaeological impact of the widening of U.S. 441 and construction of a bypass of Bishop in southern Oconee County, depending on how the project is bid.

Oconee County’s two representatives, Chuck Williams from the southern part of the county and Reginal Quick, who represents three precincts in the north, both voted against the bill.

And earlier version of the bill already had been approved by the Senate, with Oconee County’s Sen. Bill Cowsert voting in favor of the change. Cowsert is majority leader of the Senate.

The House changed the bill, and it now will go back to the Senate for action. The final day the General Assembly meets is tomorrow.

For more on this story, go to Oconee County Observations.

Pictured: Quick and Williams.