“Millions of gallons of water are lost each day to aging or inadequately maintained infrastructure — as much 18% of the surface water withdrawn for public use,” Shafer said. “Senate Bill 311, the Water Conservation and Savings Act, provides a way to pay for repairs without resorting to forced tax increases or unfunded madates.”

Shafer bill’s directs the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) to compile data showing the water loss by public utility and request plans from each utility to correct the loss.

“Unfortunately, because many local governments hold water withdrawal permits for more water than their citizens need, there is a little incentive for them to make repairs,” Shafer said. “At the same time, many growing counties are waiting years to obtain withdrawal permits of their own”

Shafer’s legislation creates a new funding mechanism for repairing water infrastructure. It would allow a local government seeking a water withdrawal permit to help pay the costs of repairing the infrastructure of another local government within the same river basin, provided that the amount of water saved from the repairs is reallocated from the permit of the government receiving the repairs to the permit of the government paying for the repairs.

“The system would be voluntary,” Shafer said. “No local government willing to repair its own infrastructure would be required to accept help from another local government.”

Shafer said the bill creates an option for funding repairs that does not involve forced taxes, unfunded mandates or even an increase in the amount of water permitted to be withdrawn.

Shafer’s bill has been endorsed by the Georgia Conservancy and Georgia Conservation Voters.

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Sen. David Shafer serves as Chairman of the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee. He represents the 48th Senate District which includes portions of Fulton and Gwinnett counties. He may be reached by phone at 404.656.0048 or by e-mail at david.shafer@senate.ga.gov.

“Gwinnett is the largest county in America that is not able to offer its residents a full range of cardiac services,” said Sen. David Shafer (R-Duluth).  “We do not understand why Emory — an ostensibly charitable institution — is attempting to block the provision of these life saving services in our community.”

The application has been approved by the Georgia Department of Community Health, but was challenged in a lawsuits filed by Emory. Emory contends there is no “need” for Gwinnett County to have its own open heart program because heart attack victims can easily drive to Emory University Hospital for treatment.

At a public hearing held at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center in Lawrenceville, the Delegation heard from the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, Gwinnett Medical Center, Dr. Manfred Sandler and several Gwinnett County heart patients.  Emory Healthcare, which owns Emory University Hospital, was invited to participate in the hearing but refused.

“Today we heard from a true cross section of Gwinnett, but Emory sent no one.  It is a long way from Decatur to Lawrenceville, especially if you are having a heart attack,” said Rep. Clay Cox (R-Lilburn), the Chairman of Gwinnett’s House Delegation.

Members of the Delegation received information about a reported violation of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTLA), in which Emory refused to provide care to a Gwinnett patient suffering a heart attack.

The Gwinnett County Legislative Delegation adopted a series of motions:

1. Declaring support for Gwinnett Medical Center’s application for a certificate of need to offer open heart services.

2.  Expressing “dismay and concern” at a  reported violation of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTLA), in which Emory refused to provide care to a Gwinnett patient suffering a heart attack, and demanding that Emory reconcile its refusal to provide this care with its litigation to stop Gwinnett Medical Center from doing so.

3.  Urging Emory to reconsider its legal and other actions to block Gwinnett patients from receiving heart care, with copies of the resolution to be sent to the directors of Emory Healthcare, the trustees of  Emory University and the bishops of the United Methodist Church, which owns Emory University.

4.  Forming a committee of the Delegation to review the Certificate of Need law and consider other legislative actions that may be taken in support of Gwinnett Medical Center’s efforts.

5. Calling an additional hearing at which Emory would again be invited to appear and explain its position.

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Sen. David Shafer serves as Chairman of the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee.  He represents the 48th Senate District which includes portions of Fulton and Gwinnett counties.  He may be reached by phone at 404.656.0048 or by e-mail at david.shafer@senate.ga.gov.