Giving Georgia's Environment its Day in Court
February 2014
Upcoming Events
Greetings!

GreenLaw continues to work hard to "give Georgia's environment its day in court".  This month, our settlement in the Ogeechee Riverkeeper case was approved by a federal judge, we've launched a new campaign - along with our coalition partners - to protect coastal Georgia from overdevelopment, and testified before the EPA in D.C. in favor of carbon regulations for new coal-fired plants.  GreenLaw is effective because we have really super lawyers dedicated to using the power of the law to clean up our air, water, and land, especially in low-income communities that are hardest hit by environmental pollution.  We appreciate your interest in our work!
Save the Spit campaign is in full swing
Building on endangered marshland is not an option. Help us Save the Spit!
GreenLaw is working with the Center for a Sustainable Coast and the Altamaha Riverkeeper to protect Gould's Inlet known as the Spit on the southern tip of Sea Island. There are several ways you can help Save the Spit. You can visit GreenLaw's Save the Spit section to get all the news and background information on the issue. You can make a donation to help us fight protect this fragile marshland from over development.  You can like our Save the Spit Facebook page to get updates.  Tweet out info from the GreenLaw website and use the hashtag #savethespit. Finally, sign the petition! We are shooting for 1,000 signatures and we need your help.   
Emergency Response Legislation
West Virginia Chemical Spill
West Virginia Chemical Spill
GreenLaw, along with our partners in the Georgia Water Coalition, are supporting a bipartisan bill in the Georgia House requiring the Environmental Protection Division to timely respond to emergency spills in Georgia's waterways.
 
House Bill 549 was introduced in 2013 and was inspired in part by the Ogeechee River fish kill case.  In that case, GreenLaw and Stack & Associates represented the Ogeechee Riverkeeper in a Clean Water Act case after a chemical spill in the river.  HB 549 passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee last week and will hopefully be enacted into law this year.
GreenLaw Attorney Honors 20 Years of Environmental Justice in U.S.
 
MaKara Rumley, GreenLaw's Environmental Justice Attorney
MaKara Rumley, GreenLaw's Environmental Justice Attorney
MaKara Rumley, Environmental Justice Attorney for GreenLaw, attended the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) meeting in Denver this week that featured a recognition of the 20th Anniversary of Executive Order 12898.  This landmark order, signed by President Clinton, was the first major federal action on environmental justice (EJ) in America.  It required that all federal agencies "make achieving environmental justice part of its mission by identifying and addressing ... disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of its programs, policies, and activities on minority populations and low-income populations."

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Solar Power Free-Market Financing and Property Rights Act of 2014
A bill recently introduced in the Georgia House will help make solar more affordable.  House Bill 874 will allow homeowners and businesses to lease or finance solar panels to generate power on their property.  This common sense measure is a win-win for Georgia consumers and the environment.

2013 GWC Capitol Conservation Day
2013 GWC Capitol Conservation Day
You are invited to join the Georgia Water Coalition on Wednesday, February 19, 2014 for Capitol Conservation Day. Capitol Conservation Day is an opportunity for all Georgian's to gather at the Capitol to tell our state representatives and senators that we value water for our families, economy, health, and future generations. Click here to register for this exciting event and get all the details. We will be working with interested participants to coordinate carpools from around the state.
Best regards,
 
The GreenLaw Team
 GreenLaw is a Georgia-based nonprofit law firm serving environmental and community organizations that have been adversely impacted by pollution.  Since 1992, GreenLaw has achieved these goals by providing free, high-quality legal and technical assistance to environmental organizations and community groups throughout.