Air Workgroup ~ Ryan Gesser, AW Chair ~ Formed in 1993 to provide Georgia industry a unified, technical voice regarding the Clean Air Act Amendments ~

This workgroup's annual "Air Workshop" has become one of the most respected and anticipated environmental regulatory events in the State. Timely, and sometimes controversial, topics are presented, discussed, and debated among managers of EPD's Air Protection Branch and air leaders within the regulated community.

While a member of EPD's stakeholder group for New Source Review reform, GIEC submitted numerous written comments to EPD and testified in the meetings of the Board of Georgia's Department of Natural Resources. After several months of significant collective effort, EPD was persuaded to significantly alter its initial proposed rule changes so that the proposed rules EPD brought before the DNR Board for adoption retained much of the original intent of the amendments, which was to make the rules less burdensome for both Georgia industry and EPD while remaining protective of the environment and human health.

GIEC engaged one of Georgia's top environmental law firms to draft comments for submittal to EPA in support of its proposal to remove the general nuisance provision from Georgia's SIP. The change was important to our membership because the provision had prompted at least one claim in a recent federal proceeding involving a Title V permit for a facility located in Brunswick that had resulted in compliance concerns among the regulated community. EPA adopted the proposed rule change.

GIEC is one of only six members appointed to serve on EPD's Permit Fee Advisory Council (PFAC), a working group formed in 2001 to address the Air Protection Branch's continuous shortfall funding issue. When EPD proposed to increase Title V fees for FY2006 by $5.67/ton, PFAC persuaded EPD to rather raise Title V fees by .50/ton, recommending that a more comprehensive budget plan be developed, to include legislative options, to make up for anticipated budget shortfalls.