Several proposed pieces of legislation affecting the environment didn’t make the cut during the latest legislative session, which ended Friday.
For the fourth straight session, legislators returned home without passing any restrictions on mining near the famed Okefenokee Swamp. This year, two bills—House Bills 561 and 562—were introduced and appeared to have significant bipartisan support. Both received votes in committee but did not proceed further. They would have effectively stopped a company from moving forward with plans to mine titanium near the swamp.
House Bill 507, which would have opened Georgia Power’s territory to competition from independent solar power generators, also stalled. Senate Bill 203 would have created a regulatory framework for residents, businesses, and private investors to build small solar power plants, but it too failed to pass.
One bill that did pass was Senate Bill 144, which shields makers of pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides from liability for failing to warn consumers of health risks. The bill, which awaits the governor’s signature, stipulates that an EPA-approved product label must be considered sufficient warning of potential harm.
