Newspaper Page Text
THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. DECEMBER 26. 2019 - PAGE 3A
CPC
continued from 1A
ed that violations reported
by neighboring property
owners had prompted the
Environmental Protection
Division (EPD) to issue
several Notice of Violations
(NOVs) to the plant.
“The EPD has made so
many trips to the plant and
seen these violations, so we
need to continue to commu
nicate with them,” Meehan
said. “Concerned citizens
are mobilized."
The MCCPC held an in
formational meeting earlier
in the month that was at
tended by about 200 people
interested in hearing about
the possible health threats
presented by GRP.
A similar movement has
been launched by citizens
in neighboring Franklin
County, where another GRP
facility is in operation and
has caused similar issues of
noise, runoff and particulate
matter in the air.
Meehan said the county
commissioners appear to
be listening to the group's
concerns and are discuss
ing actions they can take
to bring the plant in to
compliance. She also not
ed that GRP and National
Salvage, the company that
sells the ties to the plant,
have already made several
changes, including moving
the railroad tie operation
inside the plant, but noted
that the chipped ties are still
stored outside where runoff
from rain can still leech into
nearby streams. She also
pointed out that this move
could also be a way to get
the operation “out of sight”
in the hope that things will
calm down.
Meehan said she is con
cerned that workers may
face greater health effects
by being exposed to the ties
being chipped inside.
Goals the group discussed
include: stopping the plant
from burning railroad ties
as a fuel source, mitigating
the plant’s noise and smell,
continue efforts to educate
the public and bring in new
members and have water
and emissions testing per
formed by a third party that
is acceptable to the Coa
lition. Meehan said GRP
is responsible for its own
monitoring and had hired a
company to do that for them
and to send periodic reports
to the EPD.
“We’d like to get indepen
dent testing done," she said.
The Coalition also heard
from a representative of
Blue Ridge Environmental
Defense League (BREDL),
who explained that this
is a group active in seven
states in the southeast with
a staff, boaixl and chapters
located throughout the re
gion. She said if MCCPC
decided to become a chap
ter of BREDL, it would be
eligible to network with and
receive support from oth
er chapters facing similar
problems in their commu
nities, while maintaining
its own independence and
decision-making capabili
ties. She said BREDL could
also offer advice and infor
mation about grants and
ongoing lawsuits, as well as
help make plans for future
challenges.
Finally, the Coalition
formed six action groups:
•Health (chaired by Dave
Ramsey) - This group will
monitor for illness clusters,
document any health-relat
ed issues and reach out to
local healthcare profession
als for information.
•Petition (chaired by Gina
Ward) - This committee
will provide outreach in
cluding informational ma
terial, yard signs and pre
sentations. Ward said she
would also send out mass
emails to those who signed
up to receive Coalition in
formation that will provide
committee information.
•Research (chaired by
Wendy Meehan) - Com
mittee members will collect
and summarize relevant sci
entific, health and legal in
formation for the Coalition.
•Communication (chaired
by David Vogel) - This
committee will be charged
with writing letters to the
editor, drafting announce
ments and other media-re
lated matters.
•Historian (chaired by
Ruth Ann Tesanovich) —
Members of this committee
will be charged with saving
and organizing all materials,
including EPD violations,
research articles, etc. and
upload information to the
MCCPC website.
Meehan said members
will not be limited to serv
ing on one committee and
are always free to contribute
ideas or information to the
group as a whole.
“We want to keep the
community informed on
what we’ve done and are do
ing and we need your help,”
vice-chair Gina Ward told
those present. “We hope ev
eryone interested in helping
us can find their niche.”
Ward also said that a lot
of people still don’t know
about what is happening at
the GRP plant, despite all
the recent news.
“We need to let them
know, so let's get out there
and tell them,” Ward said.
The Clean Power Coali
tion meets the third Thurs
day of each month from
7 to 8 p.m. at the Madison
County Library. The next
meetings are set for Jan. 16
and Feb. 20.
For more information on
The Madison County Clean
Power Coalition (MCCPC),
go to madisoncleanpower-
coaltion.com or email them
at madcocpc@gmail.com.
You can also find them on
Facebook.
Big thanks to all of the kind folks who have made our
year so special. We're very grateful for friends
and neighbors like you.
As we welcome the holiday season, we hope it finds you surrounded by
abundant happiness and good fortune. Best wishes!
HYMAN BROWN INSURANCE
AGENCY, INC.
P. O. Box 479 * 11 State Street • Commerce, GA 30529
Office: 706-335-3900 • Toll Free: 1-888-264-5069
Fax: 706-336-6782
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of tfje tfeatfon be pours!.
Al and Anne Stone, Dottie Coile,
Kinsi, Nicholas, Reid and Rydge Dudley
Public meetings held in the county
Public meetings held in Madison County
include:
•Madison County Board of Commis
sioners — an agenda-setting meeting is held
on the final Monday of the month at 6 p.m. in
the government complex on Albany Avenue in
Danielsville. A business meeting is then held
on the first Monday of the month at 6 p.m. at
the same locale.
•Madison County Planning and Zoning
Commission — the first and third Tuesdays
of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the government
complex.
•Madison County Board of Education —
the second Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. in
the library at the Board of Education Profes
sional Learning Center.
•Madison County Board of Tax Asses
sors — meets the second Thursday of every
month at 5:30 p.m. in the conference room of
the Madison County government complex in
Danielsville. The public is invited to attend all
meetings of the board of assessors.
•The Madison County Industrial Devel
opment and Building Authority — meets the
fourth Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in
the public meeting room of the historic county
courthouse on the square in Danielsville.
•The Madison County Board of Elections
and Registration—meets the first Tuesday of
each month at 5:30 pm in the Board of Elec
tions and Registration Office, 94 Spring Lake
Drive, Danielsville.
•The Madison-Oglethorpe Foster Parent
Association — meets on the fourth Thursday
of each month from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Riv
erside Baptist Church. The meetings always
start with a potluck meal. Anyone interested in
foster care is welcome to attend.
•The Madison County Recreation De
partment Board — meets quarterly (January,
April, July and October). The board meets the
third Tuesday of those months at 6:30 p.m.
•Danielsville City Council — holds month
ly work sessions the last Monday of each
month beginning at 7 p.m. Regularly sched
uled council meetings are held on the second
Monday of each month beginning at 7 p.m.
•Colbert City Council — the first Monday
at 7 p.m. in Colbert City Hall.
•Carlton City Council — the first Tuesday
at 7 p.m. in Carlton City Hall.
•Comer City Council — the first Monday
following the first Sunday of the month at
6 p.m. in Comer City Hall.
•Ba City Council — the first Monday at
7 p.m. in Ila City Hall.
•Hull City Council — the fourth Thursday
at 7 p.m. in Hull City Hall.
•The Madison County High School Gov
ernance Team — the second Monday of ev
ery month at 5 p.m. in the high school media
center.
•The Madison County Middle School
Governance Team — the second Thursday of
the month at 4 p.m. in the school media center.
•The Colbert Elementary School Gover
nance Team — the second Thursday of each
month at 2:30 p.m. in the school’s media center.
•The Comer Elementary School Gover
nance Team — the third Thursday of each
month at 7:30 a.m. in the school media center.
•The Danielsville Elementary School
Governance Team—the first Thursday of the
month at 7:30 a.m. in the school media center.
•The Hull-Sanford Elementary School
Governance Team — the third Thursday of
the month at 2:45 p.m. in the school media
center.
•The Da Elementary School Governance
Team — the last Tuesday of each month in the
school conference room at 7:30 a.m.
•The Broad River College and Career
Academy governance meeting meets the sec
ond Monday of the month at 3:30 p.m. in the
Broad River CCA conference room.
•The Pilot Club of Madison County —
meets on the fourth Thursday of the month
at 7 p.m. at the Senior Center in Danielsville.
Guests are welcome.
•The Broad River Watershed Association
— meets the third Thursday of the month at
7:30 p.m. Call Ellen Forbus at 706-246-0957
for more information.
•The Madison County American Legion
Post 39 — meets the last Thursday of the
month at 7 p.m. at the American Legion Build
ing on Crawford W. Long Street.
•The Sherwood Forest Neighborhood
Watch committee — meets the first Thursday
of each month at 7 p.m. at Danielsville City
Hall.
•The Madison County Library Board
of Trustees — meets quarterly on the second
Thursday in January, April, July and October
at 4:30 p.m. in the public meeting room of the
Madison County Library on Hwy. 98 West.
These meetings are open to the public.
•Parent Talk Sessions: fourth Tuesdays,
lunch and learn, 1 to 2 p.m., in the Madison
County Chamber board room; dinner hour
from 6 to 7 at the Madison County Health
Department. RSVP by fourth Monday at 706-
795-2131.
•M.A.R.T. (Madison Area Resource Team)
a MC Family Connection Collaborative meets
every fourth Tuesday at 8 a.m. at the Madison
County Library meeting room.
•The Comer Lions Club — meets at the
Madison County Fairgrounds every second
and fourth Thursday at 7 p.m., April through
September; then once per month eveiy second
Thursday at 6:30 p.m. October through March.
The public is invited to attend, members stated.
For more information, contact 706-202-2695
or 706-783-2151.
A
May All Your
Come True.
Wishing you a holiday filled with magic,
wide eyed wonder and excitement.
We hope you enjoy every minute of it...
straight t hrough the new year!
Thanks for being a faithful friend and customer.
v 'f^Vlediciiie
Shopped
Across from the Post Office
Danielsville, Ga.
(706) 795-0920
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Holiday Season
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