State AG Exempts Agencies From Storm Water Regs

Georgia's attorney general says state agencies are exempt from local regulations concerning storm water runoff. The state is still bound by rules of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the federal Environmental Protection Agency to protect streams, rivers and lakes from silt. But environmentalists objected to Tuesday's opinion. Muddy runoff from construction sites threatens aquatic vegetation and wildlife. The Georgia Department of Transportation was concerned it would be subject to permit-requirements in each of the state’s 159 counties.

(Associated Press)