ATLANTA (CBS ATLANTA) -
Georgia environmental officials have pulled a permit for a manufacturer implicated in a fish kill on the Ogeechee River shortly before the issue was headed to trial.
Environmental Protection Division Director Judson Turner said Tuesday his agency has withdrawn a wastewater discharge permit given in August to King America Finishing. The agency will instead review whether pollution produced by the plant is outweighed by social or economic development goals.
The Ogeechee Riverkeeper had filed a legal challenge trying to force Georgia to conduct a review.
A new proposed settlement between the company and the state describes how it will spend $1 million on river improvements.
An estimated 39,000 fish died last year below the company's outfall pipe into the river. The firm was discharging pollutants not covered in its permit.
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