A federal proposal could force the state and private companies to clean up Georgia's air. Dozens of people weighed in Wednesday at a public hearing in Atlanta.
Sherian Wilburn of the Georgia Industry Association told U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials that their proposal to further restrict pollutions would be bad for businesses.
"It will definitely put pressure on manufacturers," Wilburn says. "They'll look elsewhere and we could easily drive jobs offshore."
Wilburn says Georgia has lost 80,000 manufacturing jobs in the past seven years.
But environmentalists came to the hearing in force. Patty Durand of the Sierra Club told regulators that, several times this summer, she would not let her son play outside and she urged her husband not to go running because the smog level was so high it posed a health hazard. Durand says tougher federal ozone standards might be the only thing that will motivate Georgia leaders to act.
"They would be forced to look at transit, whereas right now they're judgmental," Durand says. "It would require them to take care of our air. Right now they're not focused on it."
But Governor Sonny Perdue is siding with industry. In April, he sent a letter to EPA opposing the proposal. In it, he wrote "the science may not be definitive enough to warrant another revision."
The last time the EPA revised its ozone standard was in 1997. It will make a final ruling on its proposal by March.
Sherian Wilburn of the Georgia Industry Association told U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials that their proposal to further restrict pollutions would be bad for businesses.
"It will definitely put pressure on manufacturers," Wilburn says. "They'll look elsewhere and we could easily drive jobs offshore."
Wilburn says Georgia has lost 80,000 manufacturing jobs in the past seven years.
But environmentalists came to the hearing in force. Patty Durand of the Sierra Club told regulators that, several times this summer, she would not let her son play outside and she urged her husband not to go running because the smog level was so high it posed a health hazard. Durand says tougher federal ozone standards might be the only thing that will motivate Georgia leaders to act.
"They would be forced to look at transit, whereas right now they're judgmental," Durand says. "It would require them to take care of our air. Right now they're not focused on it."
But Governor Sonny Perdue is siding with industry. In April, he sent a letter to EPA opposing the proposal. In it, he wrote "the science may not be definitive enough to warrant another revision."
The last time the EPA revised its ozone standard was in 1997. It will make a final ruling on its proposal by March.
