The Georgia Environmental Protection Division wants to grow business infrastructure in the state, even amidst pushback from residents and environmental and climate advocates. Pollution’s historical and contemporary presence adversely affects Georgia’s most vulnerable communities. The cost of living increases due to inflation, and the current presidential administration’s unfettered slashing of climate funding and research related to the specific effects of pollution on politically and socially disadvantaged communities will only deepen the impact as medical bills and hospital visits increase.

Staff attorneys for the Southern Environmental Law Center sent a letter to James Boylan, the chief official for the Air Protection Branch at Ga EPD, in response to the agency’s proposed exceptional event demonstrations to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Boylan and the Protection Division seek to remove multiple days of particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions exceedances to, at least visually, meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards set forth by the Biden administration under the Clean Air Act. SELC attorneys remind EPD in its legal comments that “[c]ommunities that are most at risk from particulate pollution are those already suffering from pre-existing health hardships, and vulnerable populations such as communities of color, low-income communities, children, and older adults.”

SELC notes that enforcement of NAAQ standards will prevent several thousand deaths and generate billions in health benefits in the coming years.

These actions by the GA EPD signal a willingness of leadership to protect industry’s interests, while workers who personally champion EJ causes follow orders to serve industry.

Following a tip from a source in the Department of Energy, I have reported on this story. Other folks in the EJ community in Augusta and I see the need for an investigation, not only of EPD but also of the state of health of local residents.
In early 2024, Solvay Specialty Polymers/SYENSQO applied for a permit from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to expand its operation, with help from a $178 million grant from the US Department of Energy and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to, in part, create a product that will supposedly aid in the transition of transportation to Electric Vehicles in the country. The GAEPD granted Solvay status as a minor polluter, skirting US Environmental Protection Agency regulations that state facilities that emit the amount of toxins and PM2.5 that it does should be deemed (and continue to operate as) a Title V Major Source Pollutant and adhere to strict prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) guidelines and other emission regulatory rules.

South Augusta Residents and local environmental advocates in the 30906 zip code question the permit’s lack of transparency regarding Solvay’s potential to increase its emissions.

Hyde Park, a historically Black neighborhood, is a community in South Augusta created in the wake of Jim Crow housing policies of the South. This community sits in the 30906 zip code, an area where residents, according to Science for Georgia, have a decreased life expectancy of up to four years in comparison to the larger state population.

Science for Georgia also points out that South Augusta’s air has a higher concentration of toxic chemicals emitted than the vastly more populated city of Atlanta, with Solvay alone emitting over 65,000 lbs of toxic chemicals like chlorobenzene.

The zipcodes 30901, 30815, 30904, 30909, and 30906 are exposed to the highest pollution levels in the Augusta area —and, in some cases, the state and nationally. The Environmental Equity and Information Institute found that the South Augusta area’s history of economic and political discrimination “results in greater exposure to environmental hazards.”

Boylan and others’ apparent environmental policy favors the continued expansion of business and will not protect Georgians or the natural resources in their charge.

Proposal

I propose an acute examination and investigation of the GA EPD’s political appointments, policies, and operations. This project is ongoing, and we plan to publish this reporting beginning in late Fall 2025. Expedited funding would allow us to submit critical document and public health records requests immediately. Early access to funding ensures we can secure essential source materials in time to meet our reporting deadlines and fully develop the investigation.

I will examine how businesses interact with the environmental agency, specifically in the Augusta-CSRA region. Strengthened air quality standards from EPA should have a chilling effect on the unregulated growth of pollutant sources. However, the EPD’s Protection Division has prioritized industrial development over environmental enforcement. Chief Boylan has explicitly stated that one of his primary goals is to enable industry to “come in and expand”—even when that expansion runs counter to Biden-era federal air quality regulations.

Boylan responded to The Peach Pit’s questioning of EPD’s stance on prioritizing residents’ health over economic outcomes, saying, “Industry is a key part of the economy in Georgia. The air protection branch is responsible for…providing a foundation for a vibrant economy and healthy communities.”

As the Trump administration continues to quickly roll back climate protections and its EPA openly resists environmental justice efforts, what will pollution oversight look like in Georgia? What does climate justice mean in a state where the EPD is already aligned in principle and policy with a Zeldin-led EPA? Boylan has maintained that “EPD will continue to uphold the Clean Air Act and all federal environmental regulations, which include the PM2.5 NAAQS.”

How is EPD communicating this position with the existing and potential industry?

What are the public health implications of having a government office tasked with protecting natural resources but seemingly sacrificing health for profit gains? Who are the folks developing and greenlighting the policies?

Several prominent players act as beacons for where the investigation will start: Solvay/SYENSQO, TRC Environmental, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Conservation, and, of course, Boylan himself.

By looking at relevant air permit applications, emails, public notices from EPD, and interviews with Georgia residents, I can illustrate how Governor Brian Kemp’s vision for “the best state to do business in” intersects with the fight for environmental justice —and how that vision often comes at the expense of Georgians’ health.

TPP has made notable connections in the Augusta communities most affected by pollution. These folks have pledged to work with our outlet to tell an authentic story that centers the voices of the city’s most vulnerable residents. Our commitment to reporting with residents instead of on them grants us the ability to build a partnership that has shaped our reporting even at this moment.