EPD considers tougher standards for Savannah River

State officials say there's not enough dissolved oxygen in the Savannah River.

So Georgia's Environmental Protection Division is considering standards that may limit the amount of pollutants discharged along the river.

The EPD says the depletion of the dissolved oxygen could harm fish, such as the striped bass and the endangered sturgeon, in the Savannah River.

They've held public hearings in Augusta and Savannah, and will hold one in Atlanta on Monday.

Scientists say the dissolved oxygen breaks down the pollutants, like biochemicals, ammonia or other substances, found in industrial and municipal wastewater discharges.

But officials from the state's Environmental Protection Division say those discharges are too high, and are depleting the oxygen.

The EPD's proposed standards could lead to tougher restrictions on the discharges.

That could be expensive for the 64 cities and companies that own the wastewater treatment plants along the Savannah River.

"Our community has a lot of low income folks in it," says Allen Saxon, the assistant director for wastewater treatment for the Augusta utilities department. "Our community has a lot of low income folks in it. It could raise the rates to our users if we have to do this right away."

Saxon attended the public hearing in Augusta on Thursday.

The EPD's proposed standard sets an expectation for how much of the dissolved oxygen should be in the water. Any limitations expected of companies and municipalites would follow. The EPD could consider variances or schedules for them to comply.

As the public reviews the EPD standards, there is disagreement among the EPD and wastewater treatment plant owners on whether the the discharges upstream, such as in Augusta, have caused the lack of oxygen in the Savannah Harbor.

The EPD expects the standards to be finalized by December.

Georgia EPD considers toughened regulations on chemical discharges into Savannah River

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division is reviewing a proposal to limit chemical discharges into the Savannah River from industries and cities.

Dissolved oxygen breaks down chemical pollutants in the Savannah River.

The pollutants come from 64 industrial and municipal wastewater treatment sites and their levels are so high, they're using up the oxygen.

That, in turn, means more chemicals in the water. And that can kill fish.

The EPD is holding public hearings on their proposal in Augusta on Thursday, Savannah on Friday and Atlanta on Monday.

"These discharges are too high, so we're going to have to look at a way to re-parcel the pie," says Jeff Larson, of the EPD.

The depletion of dissolved oxygen is threatening striped bass and the endangered sturgeon in the Savannah Harbor.

Experts debate terror threat

Today a panel of experts in Savannah is discussing the hazards associated with spills of liquefied natural gas. It's part of the International Oil Spill Conference. The federal government says a terrorist attack on tanker carrying liquefied natural gas - commonly called LNG - could cause an explosion and fire so intense it burns people up to a mile away. There is an LNG terminal on Elba Island near Savannah.

Heavy rains flood town

Parts of Claxton, west of Savannah, are cleaning up after being flooded today. Authorities say the town received seven inches of rain in three hours. Police there say at least four houses were flooded after the rain fell early Thursday morning. Some of the town's streets were also flooded and numerous cars stalled out in the high water.

Rain dampens "green" tradition

Today's heavy rain in Savannah delayed a popular St. Patrick's Day tradition. The noontime greening of the fountain in Forsyth Park has been pushed to tomorrow morning at 10. Organizers have been greening the fountain for more than 20 years.

Sugar refinery explosion victim dies in Augusta

A victim of the Imperial Sugar refinery explosion near Savannah has died in Augusta, according to a spokeswoman with the Joseph M. Still Burn Center.

Michael Kelly Fields died at 2:14 a.m. Thursday.

Fourteen victims at the burn center remain in critical condition, while two are in serious condition.

18 refinery victims in Augusta expected to survive

Some hope amid the tragedy of the explosion of a sugar refinery near Savannah.

Doctors say 18 victims under treatment at a burn center in Augusta are likely to survive serious burns, despite 15 of the patients being in critical condition.

All of the victims suffered burns over 30 percent of their bodies. About half suffered burns over more than 50 percent of their bodies. Most were third degree burns.

The 15 who are in critical condition are in medically induced comas, and on ventilators.

The blast burned the victims on their faces, torsos, upper extremities and legs.

"Through the weekend, they will all be going into surgery," says Dr. Fred Mullins, medical director of the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta. The center is the closest burn treatment center to Savannah, even though it's more than 140 miles away. "Through the weekend they will all be going into surgery. During surgery, there is blood loss as well as the burn itself can create the need for blood and they'll require multiple, multiple transfusions."

That situation has blood banks in Augusta appealing to the public to donate blood and platelets over the next few weeks.

Mullins says the victims were very close to the explosion.

"Just by talking to some of the patients who were not intubated and looking at the patients that were, they were right there at the explosion," says Mullins. "Some of the patients told me that after the explosion occurred, it blew them greater than ten feet up in the air."

Doctors say recovery will take a long time.

It will be months before some of the patients are even able to leave the hospital.

The Associated Press is reporting that about 50 people were injured in the blast.

There have been conflicting reports on the number of people who died.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the disaster.

Belated memorial at Fort Stewart

Today Fort Stewart near Savannah unveiled a granite marker to honor a soldier who died of an illness contracted more than two years ago in Iraq. Private First Class Ryan D. Christensen on New Jersey died in November 2005. He was initially denied a memorial tree at Warriors Walk, where the Army's 3rd Infantry Division has honored its dead from Iraq since 2003. The Army at first denied him entry because the 24-year-old died from an infection rather than in combat. His mother lobbied the Army for nearly a year until Fort Stewart commanders changed their minds. Since the first trees were planted at Warriors Walk in April 2003, the memorial grove has grown to include 381 trees -- one for each soldier from the 3rd Infantry and affiliated units killed in Iraq.

More soldiers headed to Fort Stewart

Fort Stewart near Savannah is set to receive roughly 7,000 more soldiers and their families. The new Army plan assigns two more combat brigades to the Fort. The Army says it’s part of the move to grow by 74,000 soldiers by 2010. Every Army installation across the country will see more soldiers -- anywhere from a few to thousands.

Former aide to challenge Barrow

A Georgia U.S. Senator has a new challenger. John Stone says he is seeking the Republican nomination for a shot at defeating Democrat John Barrow. Barrow has represented since 2004 Georgia’s 12th District which spans Augusta to Savannah. Stone served as an aide to late Congressman Charlie Norwood and former Congressman Max Burns.

Archaeologists survey site of Civil War ship's sinking

Underwater archaeologists believe they might have found a Civil War era ship in a river near Savannah. Archaeologists working on the Vernon River Thursday came as close as they could to saying the ship they found is the U-S-S Water Witch without saying it conclusively.

If it's found, the Water Witch would be the first Civil War ship found since the H.L. Hunley was raised in 2000 and would be only the third such ship found in Georgia.

Tapping a pole against something metalic at the marshy, buggy site, archaeologist Harry Pecorelli said, the ship is in the right place and under 20 feet of mud. "Mud is a really good preserving agent," Pecorelli said. "So, based on my experiences just looking at the Hunley, the metal could be in very good shape."

A full-scale replica of the Water Witch is being constructed for the National Civil War Naval Museum in Columbus.

The site just outside Savannah was being studied as part of a highway extention project.

Top Senate Republican doubts tax plan

The Georgia Senate's top Republican says a proposal to eliminate property taxes will be a tough to support for some lawmakers. Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson of Savannah says the tax plan being pushed by House Speaker Glenn Richardson will anger many by taxing goods such as groceries, water usage, wheel chairs and Girl Scout cookies. Johnson says Georgians would also be taxed on services such as legal advice, cable TV, haircuts and garbage collection. Richardson, a Republican from Hiram, wants to do away with property taxes, car tag taxes and other ad valorem taxes worth about $9.6 billion in revenue.

Alligator attack in Savannah

An 83 year-old woman was attacked and killed by an alligator in Savannah over the weekend. Golfers on Skidaway Island spotted the body of Gwen Williams in a pond on Saturday. Investigators say this is the first death from an alligator attack in Georgia in 27 years. The alligator responsible for the death was trapped and removed today.

Bankrupt plant finds buyer

A shuttered and bankrupt coastal manufacturing plant has a buyer. A judge has given Universal Food & Beverage permission to sell the facility to a California buyout firm. The deal is worth $6.6 million dollars and is subject to higher bids at auction. Universal Food & Beverage filed for bankruptcy on August 31st. Bidding on the plant that covers almost 15 acres in Savannah is scheduled for October 25th.

Sexual harassment plaintiff gets $1M

In a former sexual harassment case against Savannah’s police chief, a California jury has awarded the plaintiff more than a million dollars in damages. Ya-May Christle sued the city of Los Angeles and Michael Berkow saying then-deputy chief Berkow gave special treatment to officers he had affairs with. Berkow was dropped from the suit. But a jury found that the police department retaliated against Christle for complaining about Berkow.