Environmentalists Win Novel Permit Deal After Georgia Rejects Rights Fears

Environmentalists and a wood pellet company have inked a novel settlement requiring protective conditions in an air permit issued by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) after the state declined to impose such conditions to address potential adverse discriminatory effects of the facility to be located in a majority-minority area. While the environmentalists have subsequently filed a civil rights petition with EPA alleging the state is violating the rights law, the fact that they reached a direct settlement without the...