Committee hears bill to require daily toluene limits in Tallapoosa River Basin

Tyler Paul Smith, the bill sponsor, told a Georgia House Natural Resources subcommittee on Feb. 24 that House Bill 13 83 (LC 44 34 1 8) would add Code Section 12-9-26 and require the Board of Natural Resources to establish daily emission limits for toluene from stationary sources in the Tallapoosa River Basin by Dec. 31, 2026. "Right now, we have a situation that's just clearly untenable," Smith said, describing repeated odor complaints and residents who report headaches and who have had blood tests for possible exposure.

The measure, a hearing-only item, would create a daily regulatory cap in addition to the current annual limit. Committee members asked whether the federal Environmental Protection Agency already governs toluene limits; Smith said the current annual limit mirrors federal guidelines but that Georgia could lawfully set a separate daily limit. "Yearly limit is the only thing I understand we have on. There's no daily limitation," Smith said.

Members also asked technical questions about how to measure and enforce a daily limit. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division told the panel it routinely investigates odor complaints but does not itself regulate odor as a nuisance. "We do not regulate odor," the EPD director said. EPD air chief Jim Bullen told the committee the facility in question holds a permit allowing 10 tons of toluene per year, which places it in a particular permitting category, and that the agency is able to set daily or monthly emission limits if appropriate. "We'd be happy to come back and try to do more," Bullen said, adding that stack tests and modeling would be needed to calculate current emissions.

Several members pressed for more data on community impacts and monitoring. The bill sponsor described at least 200 homes in a nearby subdivision and said the odor had been reported as far as 10–12 miles away under certain weather conditions; a member suggested EPD return with analysis on how to quantify exposures beyond subjective smell. The EPD director agreed to provide calculations and more detailed modeling when the committee reconvenes.

Because the hearing was informational, the committee took no formal action on the bill. Members said they were open to working with EPD on technical measurement, enforcement language and potential amendments ahead of any subsequent committee consideration.