COAL
COAL ASH As
33
74.921
207.2
ARSENIC
Hg
Pb
82
LEAD
80
200.59
MERCURY
& MORE
David vs. Goliath LOCAL LAWYER HOLDS TRUE TO HIS HOMETOWN
Jesup, Georgia’s Hometown Boy Mike Conner is fighting to preserve the well-being and dignity of his community from the long-term effects posed by big name corporations’ proposal to store coal ash near the town.
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S OUT H M AGA ZI NE.C OM
Call it a hero’s journey or a home-grown man’s duty. Whatever its label, the sure thing is south Georgia attorney Mike Conner has returned to his roots in Jesup, Georgia to protect and defend the community that raised him from becoming a waste-land of coal ash. Coal is decomposable, but when it is repeatedly exhausted and burned like it is at power plants near Jesup and throughout Wayne County, it is transforms into a hazardous toxin capable of causing cancer and reproductive disorders. Not only is it as non-environmentally friendly as it gets, coal ash is also a deadly health hazard, and Wayne County is a gold mine for it. The type of gold gained, however, is in dollar signs given to Republic Services, a Fortune 500 corporation operated out of Phoenix, Arizona. But the backstory is much more complex. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently proposed an application for a rail spur for Republic’s Broadhurst landfill located a few miles south of Jesup. If the spur is built, up to 10,000 tons of toxic coal ash could be the rail spur could be unloaded everyday. The rail yard would be 250 acres, and Republic would build unloading structures, a wash-down facility to clean unloaded cars, dump truck turnarounds, an employee office and a haul road to the landfill. Jesup local sources claim Republic had allegedly operated in secrecy. If the proposal is approved, it would not only benefit Republic but also CSX Railroad and other corporate giants. The contract with Republic bans any radioactive materials from the landfill, but the pressing question deals with the company’s plans for handling the coal ash, that’s exposed radioactive material seeping into Jesup grounds and water supply. This unfolds as a classic scenario of economic profit versus local well-being. Back in March, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the state Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources representatives gathered in Jesup to express their input and passionate opinions about Republic’s rail spur’s application. Conner, whose firm has offices in Savannah and Jesup, was there and up in arms about the neglect and lack of information provided about the unloading and wash-down facilities. Then and there, he established himself as a full-fledged David to Republic’s Goliath. Citizens of Wayne County rightfully worry their land could evolve into a toxic dump for the price of Republic’s offer. Conner’s passion for his people brought him back to challenge Republic and stop them from taking advantage of Jesup. Their welfare is the rallying chant against Republic’s intentions. Jesup is Conner’s family, and his stance reflected that of a hero come home, a neighborhood savior fighting for the prosperity of his family’s land. ®