Georgia

Protecting the Okefenokee Swamp

We’ve worked alongside partners for years to block a reckless plan to mine 8,000 acres on the edge of Georgia’s Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. With this threat behind us, SELC and our partners are working to find long-term conservation solutions that protect the refuge from future mining proposals.

Energy Equity

We are striving to set Georgia on a far more equitable and cost-effective clean energy path. SELC attorneys and our partners advocate for greater reliance on steady, long-term investments in solar, battery,  and energy efficiency, and to drive down reliance on expensive, dirty fossil fuels in our state. We also work to ensure that individuals and small businesses are not subsidizing industry’s energy usage, while expanding and improving access to energy bill relief programs for customers who need it most.

Protecting the Georgia Coast

Georgia’s coast is one of the last stretches of largely undeveloped coastline in the South, and home to one-third of the remaining salt marshes on the east coast. Development pressures and lax enforcement present frequent threats, so SELC works closely with a broad coalition to advocate for stronger environmental safeguards to protect coastal communities from flooding and climate change impacts, and to preserve natural treasures like the Cumberland Island National Seashore.

Transit and walkable communities

Atlanta traffic is some of the worst in the nation. While the problem is obvious, the solutions are more nuanced. Our attorneys bring expertise in transportation planning, zoning, sprawl, traffic patterns and air pollution to the table as decision makers explore transit and road improvements to allow people and goods to flow more safely and cleanly through the metro area.

Clean water

Protecting Georgia’s water resources is key to our future. This includes fighting to keep harmful forever chemicals out of our drinking water and pushing utilities to move toxic coal ash out of leaky unlined pits on the banks of our rivers. We also work to make sure that our rivers and aquifers have enough clean water and are not overused, especially during droughts.