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GAC Report 2006

The Georgia Air Coalition issued “A Call to Action for Clean Air”, a report containing a series of recommendations designed to provide clean and healthy air for all Georgians. Targeting the state’s two main sources of air pollution - tailpipes and smokestacks - the Call to Action encourages policy makers, business leaders, and citizens to take positive steps toward reducing the state’s smog and soot, slowing global warming, and increasing use of renewable energies.

The Georgia Air Coalition was founded by The Georgia Center for Law in the Public Interest, the Georgia Conservancy, Georgia Chapter of the Sierra Club, Georgia Public Interest Research Group, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Southface, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, and the Southern Environmental Law Center, to advocate for innovative solutions to provide clean, healthy air for all Georgians.

A Call to Action for Clean Air Executive Summary

Residents of over 25 Georgia counties - home to well over half the state's population - breathe unhealthy air. While Atlanta's smog pollution problem is the most well known clean air threat, the problem has outgrown Atlanta to include 7 counties in the Atlanta region and many of the state's mid-sized cities. Beyond smog, Georgia also faces the threat of soot, or particle pollution, and global warming.

Air pollution is linked to serious health impacts, including heart disease, heart attacks, lung cancer, asthma, and early deaths from heart and lung problems, which carries a significant financial burden for the entire state. Furthermore, Georgia's chronic failure to meet EPA air pollution standards threatens the ability of cities to attract new businesses and to obtain federal funding for capital improvements such as new roads. Finally, as a coastal state, Georgia is likely to suffer the direct effects of global warming, which will result in a loss of marsh and beachfront and an increase in severe weather.

We don't have to live this way. While individual citizens can take positive steps toward reducing pollutions, we also need state policies that require industries to reduce their emissions and encourage a decrease in "mobile sources" of pollution from cars, trucks and construction equipment. The recommendations in this Call to Action offer practical, proven measures to reduce air pollution and improve the economic vitality and public health of Georgia.

RECOMMENDATION 1
Significantly reduce soot from heavy-duty diesel engines such as school buses, garbage trucks and construction equipment.
· Require publicly used diesel vehicles in ozone or particulate matter nonattainment areas to use clean fuels.
· Create and enforce local and state anti-idling laws.
· Support federal and state programs to retrofit best available pollution control technology onto interstate long-haul trucks.

RECOMMENDATION 2
Secure dedicated and adequate funding for transit and increase investment in transportation projects that do not generate more pollution.
· Secure dedicated state funds for operating costs of MARTA and other transit systems and maximize federal funding for transit projects.
· Prioritize transportation funding based on impact to air quality in order to transition from expanding road capacity to cleaner transportation choices, including mass transit, carpooling, and infrastructure supporting cyclists and pedestrians.

RECOMMENDATION 3
Tie transportation infrastructure planning and development to sound land use planning.
· Coordinate and combine land use and transportation planning on a regional level.
· Encourage more housing options, greater density, and mixed use development and ensure that the transportation investment needed to support such density is available.
· Create transportation choices in existing areas of density to alleviate congestion.

RECOMMENDATION 4
Hold electric utilities to the highest possible clean air standards.
· Implement strong versions of the Clean Air Interstate Rule and the Clean Air Mercury Rule.

RECOMMENDATION 5
Develop a comprehensive State Energy Plan.
· Stimulate the growth of energy efficiency and renewable energy businesses in Georgia.
· Adopt measures to reduce fossil fuel pollution.
· Establish global warming pollution reduction goals.
· Require that all new state buildings be certified in accordance with green building program standards.
· Fund the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority to establish a program to educate people and businesses about the environmental and financial rewards of investing in energy efficiency.
· Require the State Energy Plan to oversee and regulate independent power producers and discourage using Georgia air and water resources to generate electricity that will be sold out of state.

RECOMMENDATION 6
Require electric utilities to consider renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in utilities' twenty year plans.
· Require the Public Service Commission to consider public health, environmental quality, and demand side management prior to supply options when reviewing utilities' twenty year energy plans (IRPs)
· Require the PSC to consider the economic benefits of local energy solutions over imported energy solutions.
· Incorporating the benefits of clean energy technology, in the IRP.
· Encourage clean, locally-generated electric power to reduce transmission losses and increase reliability.
· Require utilities to get a determination of public need prior to building transmission lines.

RECOMMENDATION 7
Promote and incorporate energy efficiency in Georgia's energy use.
· Implement a comprehensive energy efficiency upgrade of government facilities
· Establish aggressive but achievable state energy efficiency standards for appliances, industrial motors, air conditioners, lighting and other high-energy products.
· Promote fuel-efficient policies and programs, such as telecommuting and ridesharing.

RECOMMENDATION 8
Create standards, regulations, and incentives that enable Georgia to shift to clean, renewable energy.
· Require electric utilities to provide a meaningful percentage of new energy from clean, renewable sources.
· Create a state income tax credit for producers of renewable energy.
· Make it easier for customers to sell back renewable energy to their utility (net metering).
· Phase out subsidies for aging and polluting power plants and shift them to cleaner sources of energy production.
· Require electric utilities to offer certified green pricing or green tag programs.

RECOMMENDATION 9
Create programs to expand the production and use of clean fuels in Georgia
· Create renewable fuel and hybrid vehicle use standards for state fleets.
· Provide financial incentives - such as an elimination of the state's gas tax - for users of clean alternative fuels.
· Create a state income tax credit for producers and blenders of biodiesel and ethanol.
· Create a significant state income tax credit for alternative fuel (AFV) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV).
· Establish variable motor vehicle registration fees based on a vehicle's pollution and fuel economy score to generate funds for public and private sector use of alternative fuel and advanced transportation technologies.
· Adopt stricter tailpipe emission standards for all Georgia vehicles.