Georgia Lawmaker Advocates for Private Water Utilities Amidst Controversy Over Proposed Legislation
In a surprising turn of events, Georgia Rep. Ron Stephens delivered a compelling appeal for a proposed legislation he asserted to be crucial for his coastal district on Leap Day. The Savannah Republican, who holds the position as the chairman of the House Economic Development and Tourism Committee, highlighted Georgia’s success in attracting the $5.5 billion Hyundai electric-vehicle factory to the west of Savannah.
The Motion Under Question
This significant investment was supported by a 3,000-acre site located near the Port of Savannah, generous potential incentives exceeding $2 billion, and a plan involving four wells to supply more than 6.6 million gallons of water daily to the Bryan County complex. The factory is expected to begin production later this year.
However, Stephens emphasized on an unresolved issue – “workforce housing”. Hyundai aims to employ 8,000 workers in a region with a tense housing market. Hence the necessity for affordable housing. Unfortunately, this initiative has faced its first setback before its commencement, as stated by Stephens.
For one, developer James Dasher of Fetzer Lakes LLC was forced to revoke a proposed 500-home community near the Hyundai site. As per Stephens, the unfortunate blow occurred due to the lack of a water withdrawal permit in Bryan County. His proposed House Bill 1146 aims to address such issues by enabling private water utilities to step in if local government struggles with water supply issues.
A Closer Look
While Stephens’s argument paints a dire picture of a lack of water being the cause of this obstacle, further investigation reveals a different story. James Dasher, in communication with another reports, clarified that the decision to withdraw from the project was not influenced by the availability of water, but stemmed from the community’s resistance to the project. This contradicts Stephens’ narrative that the lack of water supply from Bryan County caused Fetzer Lakes LLC to back down.
Ongoing Controversy
Stephens persists, claiming even attempts to annex the site to the city to provide water from the county faced significant challenges. He further elucidated that Dasher invested over $400,000 attempting to secure water access. However, facts again clash with Stephens’ depiction. The plan was indeed to annex the tract into the city of Pembroke, but the purpose was to allow the city, not the county, to extend water and sewer lines to the housing project.
Conflicting Reports
Affirming this was Pembroke city manager, Chris Benson, who confirmed that Pembroke possesses enough permitted water capacity to cater to the 500-home community and an expansion of sewer services to the site is underway. This fact, opposing Stephens claims, sparks concerns over the proposed legislation that aims to enable private water utilities.
Proponents of the House Bill 1146 argue it would facilitate sufficient drinking water access for northern Bryan County in the wake of the increased housing needs with the influx of new inhabitants for Hyundai’s plant. Unfortunately, the legislation has met with united resistance from environmental groups who argue the bill permits private water providers to outrun public utilities without consideration for affordable housing designs, as stated by Megan Desrosiers, CEO of the organization One Hundred Miles.
The contention regarding the House Bill 1146 and its implications on water resources in Georgia continues to spark conversations as the legislation is scheduled for further discussion in the Natural Resources and Environment Committee of the Senate.
