After more than two decades of legal battles with neighbors over regional water rights, Georgia officials have steeled themselves for an even longer and costlier fight over the resource.
Gov. Nathan Deal has beefed up the staff to handle the new round of high-stakes litigation with Florida, and he tapped a water czar who would, for the first time, coordinate the state’s efforts. And lawmakers will soon consider a fresh legislative push to claim water from the mighty Tennessee River.
Once, state officials openly talked about a timely resolution of the long-running dispute. Now, weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to take up a Florida lawsuit, Georgia is digging in.
“We are at the beginning of the process. And it’s a long process,” said Judson Turner, the state’s environmental chief and new water czar. “This is a serious matter. And we are taking it seriously.
via Georgia prepares for new phase in long-running water wars | www.myajc.com.
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