Environmental Hazards |
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Our GoalThe goal of our Sustainable Newton Environmental Hazards Committee's is to ensure a safe and sustainable environment for residents and workers in Newton County. We monitor reporting from government agencies, nonprofit environmental and public health organizations, and the media to detect when conditions exist that could threaten public health by contaminating our air, water, or soil.
We work to keep Newton County residents and local officials apprised of incidents that warrant monitoring or further action. When appropriate, we also comment publicly on proposed changes to legislation, rules making, monitoring, reporting, and other governmental oversight. |
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It Started with Ethylene Oxide
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The precursor to our current Environmental Hazards Committee was formed in 2019, when investigative reporting and subsequent federal and state government investigations found unsafe levels of ethylene oxide (EtO) in Covington and other communities around Georgia where the chemical was used to sterilize medical equipment. That investigation led to the temporary closure of the Becton Dickinson (BD) plant in Covington.
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Sustainable Newton volunteers joined with groups of concerned citizens to urge for transparency in reporting and increased air quality monitoring around the BD factory and warehouse locations. Through our blog, we commended City of Covington officials for their actions and expressed our support for additional measures to protect public safety.
EtO remains and ongoing concern. In July of 2025, President Trump issued an executive order exempting the BD plant in Covington and the Sterigenics plant in Smyrna from complying with stricter EtO emissions standards imposed during the Biden administration. Our Environmental Hazards Committee is participating in discussions with other organizations on how to respond.
EtO remains and ongoing concern. In July of 2025, President Trump issued an executive order exempting the BD plant in Covington and the Sterigenics plant in Smyrna from complying with stricter EtO emissions standards imposed during the Biden administration. Our Environmental Hazards Committee is participating in discussions with other organizations on how to respond.
BioLab Fire Was Another Wakeup Call
When the BioLab chemical plant in Conyers caught fire on September 29, 2024, prevailing winds pushed the potentially toxic smoke all over metro Atlanta -- including in Newton County, where schools and businesses were temporarily closed to avoid exposure. Our Sustainable Newton Environmental Hazards Committee, along with other local groups, were in touch with federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state Environmental Projection Division (EPD) officials to monitor threats to public health and to encourage transparency.
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Our committee has also continued to monitor findings reported from the ongoing investigation by the US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) and attended public meetings where they reported interim findings. Ironically, in July 2025 we found ourselves joining a letter writing campaign organized by Mom's Clean Air Force to opposed plans by the Trump White House to dissolve the CSB in the 2026 federal budget. Our experience working through the maze of federal, state, and local agencies to ensure follow-through on the BioLab incident is what drove us to rename our committee from EtO to Environmental Hazards to take on a broader scope.
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Data Centers Are a New Environmental Frontier
A more recent pressing issue for our committee has been to ensure that local governments and agencies in Newton County have solid processes in place to assess the potential environmental impacts of any new data center projects proposed for our community. While local headlines are focused on citizens and elected officials concerned about the proximity of these projects to residential neighborhoods, there are also significant factors to consider in terms of water usage and energy consumption. And because data center developers in other communities have even turned to on-site gas turbines to generate electricity to power their servers, there are potential air quality concerns as well.
"Data center development right now in Georgia kind of feels like the wild west."
-- Chris Manganiello, Chattahoochee Riverkeeper
A recent Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) report, quotes Chris Manganiello with the nonprofit Chattahoochee Riverkeeper as saying “Data center development right now in Georgia kind of feels like the wild west. There aren’t very many guardrails.” That story goes on to elaborate on Georgia communities grappling with hyperscale data center projects and the struggle they face finding reliable data about what they are up against.
"While the number of data centers is hard to find, some data center database suggests there are 160, and Science for Georgia says there are at least 100," the reporters write. "But research indicates the Peach State became the fastest-growing data center hub in America earlier this year, according to law firm McGuireWoods."
"While the number of data centers is hard to find, some data center database suggests there are 160, and Science for Georgia says there are at least 100," the reporters write. "But research indicates the Peach State became the fastest-growing data center hub in America earlier this year, according to law firm McGuireWoods."
For now, our primary focus is on seeking transparency from local governments about data center projects seeking to build in Newton County. We are also teaming with groups of concerned citizens and environmental nonprofits from other Georgia communities facing similar challenges, so we can learn from them and build better management approaches.
We have also met with Mike Hopkins, Executive Director of the Newton County Water & Sewerage Authority to benefit from his experience working with Meta on multiple data centers in the Stanton Springs Industrial Park. Mike has been collaborating with Meta, successfully negotiating water usage and advancing water management technology, since they first broke ground in 2018.
We have also met with Mike Hopkins, Executive Director of the Newton County Water & Sewerage Authority to benefit from his experience working with Meta on multiple data centers in the Stanton Springs Industrial Park. Mike has been collaborating with Meta, successfully negotiating water usage and advancing water management technology, since they first broke ground in 2018.
In 2024, Sustainable Newton toured the NCWSA's Arthur Scott Emmons Water Reclamation Facility in Stanton Springs, which was built to reclaim and treat industrial waste water for reuse in Stanton Springs.
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Find out what actions you can take.
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Environmental Hazards Actions You Can Take
Monitor our social media sites and email newsletters for opportunities to write elected officials and government agencies regarding proposed policy, rule, or legislation changes.
Pass along important information we share to your family, friends, and neighbors.
Communicate to your elected officials the importance you place on the health and wellbeing of your family and your expectations that they be protected from harm.
Learn about the "Triple Bottom Line" and let business know you do not accept them making a profit at the expense of people and planet.
If you have a background in medicine, public health, and environmental monitoring, join our committee to help us translate material to share with the general public.
Pass along important information we share to your family, friends, and neighbors.
Communicate to your elected officials the importance you place on the health and wellbeing of your family and your expectations that they be protected from harm.
Learn about the "Triple Bottom Line" and let business know you do not accept them making a profit at the expense of people and planet.
If you have a background in medicine, public health, and environmental monitoring, join our committee to help us translate material to share with the general public.
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Our Other Committees:
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