ATLANTA, Ga. — Environmental groups are threatening legal action against the City of Atlanta, alleging Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has repeatedly polluted the Flint River with jet fuel, sewage and other contaminants.
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The Flint Riverkeeper and the Southern Environmental Law Center announced Wednesday they have sent the city a notice of intent to sue, alleging the airport has violated federal clean water and solid waste laws through years of spills and stormwater pollution.
The move comes after Channel 2 Action News has reported extensively this year on multiple fuel spills at the airport, including a 10,000-gallon jet fuel spill in January that reached the Flint River and wasn’t reported to downstream communities for more than a week, as well as another spill over Memorial Day weekend that released an estimated 20,000 gallons of fuel.
The groups say those incidents are part of a larger pattern of pollution.
In addition to fuel spills, they allege sewage, deicing fluid and trash from the airport routinely enter the Flint River, Sullivan Creek and Mud Creek.
They also cite water sampling that found elevated levels of PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” downstream of the airport.
The Flint River provides drinking water for more than 400,000 people in communities downstream, including portions of Clayton, Coweta, Fayette, Pike and Spalding counties.
“These spills are not one-time events — no one should have to worry about their water smelling and tasting like jet fuel when they turn on the tap,” Flint Riverkeeper Executive Director Gordon Rogers said in a statement.
The environmental groups say they hope the lawsuit will force the City of Atlanta to take steps to stop future pollution. Under federal law, the notice gives the city time to address the alleged violations before a lawsuit can be filed.
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