Let the River Celebration Begin!

Spring 2014 A publication of Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (CRK) RiverCHAT www.chattahoochee.org Let the river celebration begin! e’re taking a trip down memory of meetings with paddlers, fisherman, lane this year, as Chattahoochee scientists, water experts and environmen- WRiverkeeper turns 20. tal advocates to develop a strategic plan and geographic focus for the organization. In the coming months, we will recall the Without a doubt, the prime motivating victories, the challenges and most impor- force behind the new organization was tantly the stories about the people who its co-founders — Rutherford and Laura have helped us along the way. Turner Seydel.

Celebrate this milestone with us at events Biggest challenge planned to inspire our river family and friends — from Sweep the Hooch in April Before we could tackle other threats to the and River Revival in May, to the River Race Chattahoochee, which supplies drinking and Festival in June and our Anniversary water for nearly four million Georgians, Gala in October. See www.chattahoochee. we knew that we had to force the river’s org for details. biggest polluter to comply with the federal Clean Water Act. Cleaning up neighbor- At the beginning hoods and restoring downstream communities was paramount. The riverkeeper concept seems obvious today, like many things in hindsight. But, For decades, the city of Atlanta had al- when John Cronin became the Hudson lowed raw sewage to enter the river and Riverkeeper in 1983, he started a brand- tributaries from its failing sewer system, new model of environmental advocacy which had not been maintained properly — one empowered by the enforcement of since the 1970s. clean water laws, a focus on ecological health and a network of informed and pas- It is easy to forget that 20 years ago city sionate citizens. streams regularly were filled with toilet paper, condoms and even fecal matter Waterkeepers around the world — now after the smallest storm and sometimes more than 200 — protect their local water- during dry weather. Peachtree Creek, ways by confronting pollution and other Proctor Creek, Tanyard Creek, Nancy threats in the courts, the media and the Creek, Utoy Creek and dozens more were political system. See www.waterkeeper.org. among those affected.

Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (formerly Today, these streams and the Chatta- known as Upper Chattahoochee River- hoochee River downstream of Atlanta are keeper) officially began its river duties in dramatically cleaner, thanks largely to March 1994 when Sally Bethea was hired the waterkeeper model of environmental as the organization’s founding director In the beginning: Sally Bethea, Chattahoochee Riverkeeper's founding executive advocacy and a group of citizens who director; and co-founders J. Rutherford Seydel and Laura Turner Seydel. and riverkeeper. A grant from the Turner demanded clean water for everyone. Foundation made this possible. Let’s celebrate this victory and so many Inside This Issue CRK’s birth was preceded by nearly a year more as CRK turns 20!

Jamie Pryor knows the worth of water. Page 4

Georgia Water Coalition leads under the Gold Dome. Page 6

Hog waste flows through a state park into the river. Page 7 STAFF Sally Bethea Executive Director and Riverkeeper Reflections Tammy Bates Outings Manager wenty years ago, few Now, it is time to tackle the Juliet Cohen paddlers would have detritus that has washed General Counsel Tconsidered taking a into the Chattahoochee from Laura Hartt weekend trip down the our urban environment. Water Policy Director Chattahoochee River imme- Duncan Hughes diately below Atlanta. It was Polishing a hidden gem Headwaters Outreach Coordinator simply too polluted. Bonnie Jackson Last November, CRK orga- Operations Manager Chronic spills of raw sewage nized a two-day paddle and Henry Jacobs from the city’s long-neglect- cleanup trip on the 13-mile Regional Outreach Coordinator ed sewer system made the river section from Georgia Keena S. Johnson river unsafe for public rec- Power’s Plant McDonough Development Associate reation much of the time — to Campbellton Road Becca Klein and it was nearly impossible (Highway 166) in South Development Director to find public access points Fulton County. Michael Meyer to launch a boat. Watershed Protection Specialist We started in a light rain, Jessica Sterling Off-limits by design but the skies soon cleared Watershed Protection Specialist and our group enjoyed a glorious weekend of paddling Jason Ulseth As the first riverkeeper for the Chattahoochee, begin- and camping on Buzzard Roost Island with permission Technical Programs Director ning my post in 1994, I learned that the lack of access of its owner Fulton County. Because of the island’s Joy L. Woodson to the river below the confluence of Peachtree Creek archeological significance as part of an Indian trading Communications Director in Atlanta was by design. route and the boundary between the Creeks and Cher- Christina York okees, the county allows very limited public access. Database Manager Rather than take action to clean up the Chattahoochee using its regulatory authority, the Georgia Environ- With trash baskets on our kayaks and several BOARD OF DIRECTORS mental Protection Division (EPD) decided to keep the canoes to hold most of the debris, we worked our Rebecca Cranford river off-limits with no new boat ramps or parks. The way downstream, pulling everything imaginable from Sarah Dearman 65-mile stretch of river from Atlanta to West Point Lake the riverbank, including a water-soaked artificial put- Denise Donahue — flowing downstream through South Fulton, Cobb, ting green. The work was exhausting and extremely Gary Gaines Douglas, Coweta and Heard counties — was kept rewarding; our group of 12 paddlers pulled nearly two Billy Hall largely invisible to the general public. tons of trash out of the river with the help of volunteer Victor Haydel Matt Robinson and his motorboat. Hugo Hernandez Thanks to a successful legal strategy led by Chat- Bill Hoffman tahoochee Riverkeeper, the water in this section is By the time you read this newsletter, we will have Christine Hung dramatically cleaner today. returned to Buzzard Roost in early March, this time Richard Jacobson focusing on tire removal. Join us at one of our clean- Even as boaters and fishermen are finding a ‘new’ river Dave Kirkpatrick ups in 2014. See www.chattahoochee.org for dates and to enjoy downstream of Atlanta, massive trash flotillas Steve O’Day to register. and plastic caught in riverbank vegetation spoil an Jamie Pryor otherwise scenic vista. David Shaffer Charles Smith Executive Director and Riverkeeper Catherine Woodling J. Rutherford Seydel II, Chair Our mission is to advocate and secure the Watershed Moment protection and stewardship of the Chattahoochee River, its tributaries and watershed. Not long ago, in the Johnson Ferry Unit of the Chatta- ATLANTA OFFICE hoochee River National Recreation Area, I encountered two 3 Puritan Mill wide-eyed children pulling their parents along in search of 916 Joseph Lowery Blvd. the beaver pond. I directed them to the largest one and also Atlanta, GA 30318 showed them where I’d seen a beaver swimming in the river 404-352-9828 the week before. This reminded me of how easy it is to view GAINESVILLE OFFICE wildlife in our river park. Without really trying, I seasonally 615 F Oak Street Suite 1000 see beaver, muskrat, deer, fox, coyotes, possums, raccoons, Gainesville, GA 30501 cormorants, kingfishers, sandhill cranes, an occasional bald 770-531-1064 eagle, and various species of ducks, hawks and owls. There LAGRANGE OFFICE are noisy great blue heron rookeries and even noisier chorus 35 Lafayette Square frog serenades. Last spring, I watched a box turtle lay her Wislon Photo courtesy of Tom LaGrange GA 30240 eggs in a place where her hatchlings could live their life with- Red-eared Slider, Island Ford 706-882-3701 out encountering cars or lawnmowers. We are truly blessed www.chattahoochee.org to have such a rich slice of nature in Atlanta’s backyard. — Alan Toney, Sandy Springs www.getthedirtout.org What’s your “Watershed Moment”? Email your hi-res color image of the river, and about 100 words about its inspiration, to [email protected]. 2 River CHAT Rainy year washes nutrients into Lake Lanier During the 2013 growing season (April-October), CRK On Patrol collected monthly water samples at 10 locations on Lake For further details on CRK’s investigations and enforcement actions, go to Lanier and tested them for chlorophyll a as part of our www.chattahoochee.org/on-patrol. Lake Lanier Clean Water Campaign. Chlorophyll a levels are used to determine the amount of algal growth in the lake and are an important indicator of PROTECTING STREAMS, COMMUNITIES lake health. Our results were much higher than the previous year due to greater rainfall and stormwater runoff Chattahoochee Riverkeeper has been hard at work into the lake. We observed chlorophyll a levels higher this past year, protecting streams and communities than the state water quality standard at two locations. from industrial stormwater pollution, and we have This confirmed the need for an expedited cleanup plan. good news to report. CRK will continue Lake Lanier testing in 2014. Addition- ally, we are pleased to announce that a similar monitor- To date, we have helped 25 industries comply with ing program will be conducted on West Point Lake. clean water regulations that require the use of best management practices to keep contaminants from flowing off their sites and into nearby waterways when it rains. Because 2013 was one of the wettest years in Georgia’s history, our timing to initiate this Illegal sewer connections new CRK program could not have been better. in Proctor Creek 100 industries in four years Data collected in recent years through CRK’s Neighborhood Our goal is to help at least 100 industrial facilities Water Watch Program revealed come into compliance with Georgia’s Industrial very high E. coli levels in the main Stormwater General Permit by the end of 2016. We are stem of Proctor Creek near Troy conducting a comprehensive investigation throughout Street in northwest Atlanta. We the Chattahoochee watershed to identify those indus- shared our data with officials in tries that are failing to meet clean water laws and are the city’s Department of Watershed working with them to stop polluted runoff. Management, which began working to identify potential sources using One success story involves Valiant Steel and Equip- closed-caption television tests, dye ment, Inc., which processes primary metals and is tests and visual inspections. Over the located in Gwinnett County’s Crooked Creek water- past six months, the city’s efforts have located 27 illegal sewer connec- shed. As a result of our intervention, the company tions — pipes that were thought to be installed pollution control measures to prevent zinc, flowing to a sewage treatment plant arsenic, and other heavy metals from flowing down- as part of a former sewer separation stream into the river. project, but were instead sending untreated waste directly into Proctor At Standard Concrete Products in Atlanta’s Proctor Creek via storm drains. As of Janu- Creek watershed, new pollution controls focus on ary, seven of these sewer lines had preventing various contaminants from flowing off- been disconnected, and our samples site. New management practices at Williamson Auto already show improved water quality Parts, an auto salvage yard located on the banks of in the creek. Yellow Jacket Creek in Troup County, will keep auto- motive fluids and lead from flowing off site, as well. Bacteria monitoring at With each new facility coming into compliance, Whitesburg, Franklin Chicken Processor Pollutes Fort Creek we can all enjoy the rewards of a cleaner, safer Thanks to a grant from the Alice water supply. Several months after JCG Foods, a chicken Huffard Richards Foundation, processor in Pine Mountain Valley, announced CRK is able to measure bacteria the expansion of two new processing lines, levels weekly at two locations in the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) the Chattahoochee downstream reissued its wastewater discharge permit with of Atlanta: Whitesburg in Carroll no limit on volume of effluent or phosphorous County and Franklin in Heard load. JCG Foods discharges into Fort Creek, County. As public access areas and a small stream that eventually flows into Goat parks continue to be added along Rock Lake on the Chattahoochee River. Chicken the river in this region between processors contribute large quantities of phos- Atlanta and West Point Lake, the phorous to wastewater. Without adequate treat- Chattahoochee’s condition is of ment, phosphorus pollutes the receiving water increasing interest to boaters, body and increases the chance of algal blooms paddlers and fishermen. Although and fish kills. JCG Foods has been discharging much is known about bacteria phosphorous at 50 to 200 times the concentra- levels in the river in metro Atlanta, tion of a modern wastewater treatment facility. less information is available in We have brought this issue to EPD’s attention this downstream region. The data, and will continue to monitor the facility and any to be collected for one year and downstream impacts. made available to the public, will be used to help guide recreational use of the river. River CHAT 3 River Stewardship JAMIE PRYOR KNOWS THE WORTH OF WATER rowing up the son of missionaries in Iran, CRK board member back to Tehran by the United States Embassy to work as an interpreter Jamie Pryor knows first-hand the worth of clean water and what during the height of the Iranian Revolution. Although Pryor and his fam- Ghappens when people do not have access to it. In fact, he once ily eventually left Iran, Pryor has remained interested in international caught cholera and spent three weeks curled up in the back of the family affairs and clean water initiatives. van on a trip through Turkey. After completing an undergraduate degree in economics (Franklin & Pryor’s time in Marshall College) and a master’s degree in international economics (Uni- Iran left a lasting versity of Kentucky), Pryor made his home in Atlanta. He is now senior impression on vice-president of corporate finance for PNC Bank. him. He saw canals simultaneously Pryor helps clean up Peachtree Creek used for flood control, cook- CRK first met Pryor in the late 1990s, when he led a coalition of Memorial ing, bathing, and Park neighborhoods in a fight to fix a broken pipe that was dumping sew- drinking water — a age into Peachtree Creek. Pryor asked for CRK’s help to identify the offi- recipe for cholera cials responsible for fixing the problem. We gave him the help he needed, and other water- and today Peachtree Creek is a lot cleaner because of our joint efforts. borne diseases. In 2007, Pryor helped launch Royal Bank of Canada’s Blue Water As an Eagle Scout Project, which funded CRK’s 2011 report, “Filling the Water Gap: and summer camp Conservation Successes and Missed Opportunities in Metro Atlanta” canoe instructor, (see http://www.chattahoochee.org/filling-the-water-gap-report.php). his appreciation In 2009, Pryor joined CRK’s board of directors. for clean water only grew. When asked his thoughts on the most pressing issue facing the Chatta- hoochee River, Pryor looks to the future: “Water is always going to be a Nineteen years old limited resource, and we need to protect it for human health and future and fluent in Farsi, economic development.” Pryor was called Jamie Pryor has a keen interest in international affairs and clean water.

MIDDLE CHATTAHOOCHEE STUDENTS GET WATER LESSONS ommunities in the Middle Chat- other students and parents and as a tahoochee region – from Franklin, result led to benefits beyond the class- CHogansville and LaGrange to room door.” Lanett, Pine Mountain and West Point – are the focus of CRK’s expanding water Programs with Hillside Montessori and stewardship and education programs. Rosemont Elementary School have been equally successful, as younger age Our regional outreach coordinator Henry groups were given the opportunity to Jacobs, based in LaGrange, is actively experience their watershed firsthand. working in local schools to present edu- cational programs that give students an Ashley Strickland, a third grade teacher opportunity to conduct water monitor- at Rosemont Elementary was surprised ing, learn about their watershed and to find that many of her students did discuss water conservation. not know their drinking water came from the Chattahoochee River. After our Field studies engage students presentations, her students understood the definition of a watershed and were Last November, a group of 12th-grade excited to learn more about water in students from LaGrange Academy their science classes. tested the water in Troup County’s Long Cane Creek. The previous week, the stu- Boots Martin learns about macro-invertebrates in a local stream. Boots Martin (pictured), a student at dents participated in a two-hour class- Hillside Montessori School, was just as room session to learn about watersheds and the importance of water excited when it came to learning about the bullfrogs and crayfish he monitoring. Once in the field, they used methods approved by Georgia discovered on a field trip and how they contribute to the health of a Adopt-A-Stream to gather data on the biological, physical and chemical stream ecosystem. state of the stream. Inspired by this spirit to learn more about the environment around Mickey McCoy, environmental science teacher at LaGrange Academy, us, CRK will continue to serve as a resource for students and teachers was pleased: “This unique experience was shared with excitement to throughout the Chattahoochee River Basin.

4 River CHAT GREENHOUSE FOUNDATION: A FAMILY LEGACY he Green- And, change they River Matters House Foun- have. For information on these and other river-related Tdation isn’t events, visit www.chattahoochee.org/calendar. just any nonprofit Each week, Shed- organization — it’s a onna is out at one of March 15 family legacy. five schools work- Water Drop Dash 5K ing directly with Chattahoochee Nature Center Started in 2012 students. In two by siblings Shed- years, they have March 23 onna Alexander reached 500 under- Harbinger of Spring Hike — and CeeLo Green, served students the foundation is with environmental West Palisades a continuation of a education. “We take Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area philanthropic ideal these babies from April 11 within their family. Shedonna Alexander and CeeLo Green started the GreenHouse Foundation in 2012. the ground up,” she “We wanted to con- said with a smile. Wildflower Moon Campfire and Hike tinue the legacy that our grandmother and mother “Many of them don’t even know what a seed is. — Sope Creek laid out for us,” Shedonna said. They have never been outside in that way before.” Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

Their grandmother, Ruby Callaway Robinson, was As far as the future plans of the GreenHouse Foun- April 12 executive director of CASCADE, a national non- dation go, organizers are currently focusing on the Sweep the Hooch Cleanup profit organization dedicated to addressing drug neighborhood cluster of five schools. Honored by use and abuse among the nation’s youth. Shedon- GreenHouse Foundation with an "Environmental April 26-27 na also spoke fondly of her mother, who was one Stewardship" award, CRK is excited to be a part of Headwaters Paddle and Camp of the first female firefighters in Atlanta. these efforts, as well. May 8 From an early age, these strong role models “We would love to see them be environmental River Revival taught the siblings about the importance of giving superstars,” Shedonna said. “We want to give Terminal West back to their community. It is a lesson that laid these students every resource possible to move the groundwork for their current endeavors. forward with this knowledge however they see June 14 fit — whether bringing recycling into their homes, River Race and Festival “We saw that environmental education wasn’t in starting community gardens, or teaching their Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area the neighborhood we grew up in,” Shedonna said. parents the importance of water conservation. “We wanted to change that.” The opportunities are endless.” October 14 20th Anniversary Gala AVEDA REMAINS VITAL CLEAN WATER PARTNER or the third consecu- In 2012, Aveda’s corporate tive year, Aveda chose office decided to shift FCRK as its Earth its fundraising priorities WELCOME TO KEENA Month partner for the state and focus on local water of Georgia. The partner- initiatives. A press release JOHNSON! ship has raised more than from that year states the $100,000 to help protect the company “wanted to bring Chattahoochee River. the issues close to home for our employees and Sally Bethea, CRK’s execu- customers.” tive director, recounts how the partnership began. Today there are more than 40 salons in metro Atlanta “The partnership actually spreading CRK’s message. started locally in 2010,” she Activities have included: said. “We were contacted special in-house salon spe- by Atlanta’s Van Michael cials, social media fundrais- At the end of 2013, we said goodbye to Mary Salons who wanted to do a ing drives, an Earth Day Manson, who retired after nearly 15 years as fundraiser to raise aware- cut-a-thon, and more. ness about the importance our wonderful receptionist and office caretaker. of our local water resources. CRK is honored to be a part Formerly with the Captain Planet Foundation, of the 2014 campaign, which urges customers to Keena Johnson joined CRK full time this year “They wanted to make the connection between “Protect Water, Change Lives.” It is a message that as our new development associate. She also the resource that was so important to their day- definitely hits close to home, as the organization has assumed Mary’s responsibilities, along to-day work, and the mission that CRK was carry- celebrates 20 years of doing just that. ing out in the community.” with other outreach and fundraising activities. Stay tuned to www.chattahoochee.org for details on Please welcome her the next time you visit our In the first two years, Van Michael raised $15,000. Aveda Earth Month events in your neighborhood! Atlanta office!

River CHAT 5 GEORGIA WATER COALITION LEADS UNDER THE GOLD DOME ith more than 200 partner organizations representing a quarter root of the agency’s of a million people, the Georgia Water Coalition (GWC) is the failure to properly re- Wleader in the protection of our waterways at the state Capitol. spond is a lack of fund- ing for personnel and GWC members have diverse experiences, including farming, recreation, training; the divisions’ fishing and boating; however, we all have one thing in common — a deep emergency response appreciation and respect for the importance of clean and plentiful water program is currently at for our families, businesses and future generations. Chattahoochee half its pre-recession Riverkeeper is proud to be a member of the coalition’s leadership team. capacity.

Water rights, emergency response and aquifer protection Although the 2014 legislative session is slat- The GWC’s top legislative priority is to defeat a bill introduced during ed to be shorter than the 2013 session that amends the Flint River Drought Protection Act usual, water issues will (SB 213). As currently written, this bill threatens Georgia’s riparian rights be a priority, and your system, property rights and taxpayer dollars. It would allow the state to help is needed through prohibit downstream property owners from withdrawing “augmented” the very last day. water — a short step from western-type water regulation.

Also on the coalition’s legislative agenda are: a bill that mandates a state emergency response program for environmental disasters (HB 549) and a bill that places a permanent, statewide prohibition on the practice of aquifer storage and recovery of water (SB 306). See http://chattahoochee.org/legislature.php for updated In recent years, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) has information and join the Georgia Environmental Action Network not had the resources to adequately handle environmental emergencies that have threatened public health, communities and property. At the at http://www.protectgeorgia.net/signup.asp.

TRI-STATE STAKEHOLDERS REMAIN COMMITTED TO WATER PLAN or the past four years, CRK has interests. They were concerned that in- been an active member of the formation generated by the ACFS could FApalachicola-Chattahoochee- be used against Georgia in court. Flint Stakeholders (ACFS), a diverse group of people working collabora- At that meeting, the governing board tively to develop a sustainable water approved a more restrictive policy con- management plan for the ACF basin. cerning the use of information generated by the group’s consultants. Given the array of economic, social, and ecological values at stake, the Also in December, the governing board consensus-driven process has proven sent a letter to the governors of Geor- challenging at times. Until last fall, gia, Florida, and Alabama, asking each the stakeholders were able to resolve to sign a memorandum of understand- differences through a transparent, ing (MOU) agreeing to abstain from science-driven process. However, use of ACFS work products in litigation events changed the group’s dynamics against one another. Both Alabama and and may threaten its future. Florida declined to sign the MOU, while Georgia has yet to respond directly to In October, in response to the near the group’s request. collapse of Apalachicola Bay’s oyster fishery, Florida filed a lawsuit in the Whether the ACFS will be able to U.S. Supreme Court, asking it to ap- complete a sustainable water manage- point a “special master” to allocate ment plan under the new restrictions water in the ACF basin to alleviate de- imposed last December remains an clining salinity levels in the bay. Florida open question. alleges the drop in salinity is due in For now, CRK is working with the group part to Georgia’s water consumption to complete the plan for submission to upstream. the Army Corps of Engineers in hopes Restrictive policies approved of influencing the agency’s update of the ACF Water Control Manual, which In December, the ACFS met to ad- will govern operations for all the dress concerns stemming from the Florida lawsuit which were raised by federal reservoirs in the ACF basin. For more information, see http:// some Georgia stakeholders, primarily those representing metro Atlanta www.acfstakeholders.org/. 6 River CHAT HOG WASTE FLOWS THROUGH STATE PARK INTO THE RIVER n November — as the Georgia Board of Natural Resources consid- ered proposed rules to significantly weaken the regulation of hog Iwaste in our state — a two-acre lagoon at an abandoned hog farm in north Georgia was breached. Six million gallons of old bacteria-laden hog waste spilled into Mossy Creek, a tributary to the Chattahoochee River.

Downstream of the breached lagoon, a landowner observed muddy and stinking water flowing past his property and contacted CRK board member Gary Gaines. Once alerted, CRK’s technical programs director Jason Ulseth conducted a site visit the next morning. His water samples revealed E. coli bacteria levels more than four times the federal limit for recreational waters in the gray and foul-smelling creek.

Forty-eight hours after the breach, CRK’s headwaters outreach coordinator Duncan Hughes tracked the pollution for more than four miles downstream where he could see a plume of polluted water entering the Chattahoochee River at Mossy Creek State Park in Hall County. Photos courtesy of White County News Commissioner of Agriculture, the EPD proposed new rules last fall for We immediately reported the spill to local officials and the Georgia huge factory hog facilities, also known as concentrated animal feeding Environmental Protection Division (EPD) who in turn conducted inde- operations or CAFOs. pendent inspections. We also reported the incident to the state parks division. Fortunately, the spill did not occur during a period of high This alarming rollback of protections would have endangered water recreational use. quality and public health. It would have allowed substantially more hog waste in concentrated areas without critical requirements: notice to EPD found that the lagoon dam had been intentionally breached with neighbors, limits on open lagoons and spraying, and wide protective a backhoe by a new property owner. Although the lagoon has been buffers between hog facilities and waterways, drinking water supplies, permitted by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, that permit ended schools and residences. in 2011, but the lagoon was never properly drained and capped. It was an environmental disaster waiting to happen. Whether it was the outcry from nearly a thousand outraged citizens or the vivid images of hog waste flowing past a landowner’s property and As of early February, EPD was in the process of finalizing an enforce- through a park, the state board did not consider the proposed rules ment action to include site stabilization and a monetary fine. last December as originally planned. Hopefully, they are now dead.

Weakening of hog waste rule averted – for now Questions remain however: How many abandoned hog lagoons threaten waterways and property in the Chattahoochee watershed? Why has In the late 1990s, Georgia’s Board of Natural Resources adopted some the state Department of Agriculture not insisted on proper closure of of the strongest hog rules in the Southeast, after hog waste lagoons these facilities as required? failed in North Carolina during a hurricane and contaminated downstream drinking water supplies, recreational areas and property. During the next year, Chattahoochee Riverkeeper will investigate the answers to these questions with a goal of averting disasters such as Bending to pressure from a handful of hog producers and the Georgia the one that occurred last year at Mossy Creek.

River CHAT 7 Non-Profit Organization COX ENTERPRISES HONORED AT US Postage Paid Permit No. 3363 19TH ANNUAL PATRON DINNER Atlanta, Georgia ox Enterprises received CRK’s top honor — our River Guardian 3 Puritan Mill Award — in October for its award-winning media coverage of 916 Joseph Lowery Blvd. Address Service Requested Cenvironmental issues and its water conservation achievements through the Cox Conserves Program. See our tribute video at http:// vimeo.com/76580722.

More than 400 guests joined CRK’s board and staff for our 19th Annual Patron Dinner on October Printed by Claxton Printing on paper made with 10 percent 9 at The Foundry in Atlan- post-consumer waste. ta where we honored Cox, UPS (River Sustainability Award), Jerry McCollum (River Hero Award) and Fran Burst and Brandon Danowski (River Aware- ness Award).

Special thanks all of our 19th Annual Patron Dinner sponsors, who helped us raise $210,000 to support our river protection programs.

Want to learn more about If you prefer to receive Chattahoochee Riverkeeper? RiverCHAT electronically, Scan the QR code to visit contact Joy Woodson at our website! [email protected].

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

PRESENTING SPONSOR Colonial Pipeline Company

RIVER BENEFACTOR Atlanta Journal-Constitution Cox Enterprises | Dennis Dean Catering encyclomedia | NewFields

Sally Bethea, CRK executive director and riverkeeper, welcomes Patron Dinner guests.

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