Georgia Geologic Survey's experience in developing rules and regulations for state environmental legislation

During the past several years, the Georgia Geologic Survey has had the responsibility to develop regulatory rules for several pieces of environmental legislation. The Georgia General Assembly, during its 1991 session, passed a Mountain and River Corridor Protection Act (MRCPA), and the Survey was asked to prepare the rules for this piece of legislation. The development of the rules for the MRCPA illustrates the interactive process used by the Survey in developing rules that are technically sound, meet the letter and spirit of the law, and are acceptable to the regulated community. The first step in the process of developing rules for the MRCPA involved the creation of a committee of individuals affected by the law to help draft the rules. This committee represented conservation interests, development interests, and the general public. Starting out with a strawman'' version of the rules prepared by the Survey, the committee helped create a preliminary version of the rules. A public notice concerning the rules was published in newspapers throughout the state and public hearings on the proposed rules were held. Based on the public comments received both at the hearings and by mail, modifications were made to the rules. At the same time,more » oral presentations were made concerning the proposed rules to several regional and county groups. These talks raised issues that had not previously been considered, and additional changes were made to the regulations. The final rules were approved by the Department of Natural Resources Board in December, 1991. This close interaction with the general public and affected interest groups allowed the development of well crafted rules for the protection of Georgia's environment.« less