ATLANTA,None — Georgia taxpayers could have to pay more than $1 million in fines after the Environmental Protection Agency said a highway project caused environmental damage near Lake Burton.
It would be one of the largest state fines ever, stemming from a construction project. Authorities told Channel 2’s Michael Buczyner that the Georgia Department of Transportation and a Tennessee company, Wright Brothers Construction, have agreed to split $2.8 million in fines and cleanup costs.
The EPA alleges GDOT allowed Wright Brothers to dump excess soil and rock into seven streams in northeast Georgia between 2004 and 2007. According to the EPA, damage was done to tributaries of Lake Burton or Tallulah Falls Lake during the widening of highways 76 and 441 in Rabun County.
In a prepared statement, GDOT and Wright Brothers deny violating the Clean Water Act. The agreement has not been finalized yet, pending public comment.