Georgia

Lawsuit seeks to revoke FAA license for Georgia spaceport

Published

3 years ago

May 26, 2022

Lawsuit seeks to revoke FAA license for Georgia spaceport

SAVANNAH, Ga. — Opponents of a proposed launchpad for industrial rockets on the Georgia coast are asking a court docket to throw out the challenge’s authorities license, saying the Federal Aviation Administration didn’t accurately assess the dangers of firing rockets over houses and a barrier island fashionable with vacationers.

Attorneys for the Southern Environmental Regulation Middle filed swimsuit in U.S. District Courtroom in search of to revoke the launch web site operator license the FAA granted in December to the deliberate Spaceport Camden. Officers in coastal Camden County have spent the previous decade and greater than $10 million in search of to construct a spaceport for launching satellites into orbit.

The proposed flight path would ship rockets over Little Cumberland Island, which has about 40 personal houses, and neighboring Cumberland Island, a federally protected wilderness visited by about 60,000 vacationers every year. Residents and the Nationwide Park Service have mentioned they worry explosive misfires raining fiery particles might spark wildfires close to houses and other people.

The lawsuit filed on behalf of house owners and conservation teams says the FAA allowed county officers to attenuate potential security dangers by basing their license software on a hypothetical rocket “that doesn’t exist” and is smaller than present industrial rockets. It says the FAA did not observe its personal insurance policies that decision for holding such “unproven” rockets to the next normal.

“The FAA’s choice to license a web site the place rockets would launch over folks, houses, and Cumberland Island Nationwide Seashore … is opposite to the company’s laws for licensing launch websites and is unprecedented within the historical past of the US’ industrial area program,” mentioned the the lawsuit, filed Might 19 within the District of Columbia.

The lawsuit additionally claims {that a} prime FAA official privately instructed opponents of Spaceport Camden in March 2019 that he doubted the challenge would achieve success.

The doc says a gaggle of Little Cumberland Island owners traveled to Washington to satisfy with FAA officers together with Wayne Monteith, who was then the company’s affiliate administrator for industrial area transportation. The lawsuit says Monteith instructed the group “that Spaceport Camden was not a commercially viable launch web site and that `some spaceports simply need to promote hats and T-shirts.’”

FAA spokesman Steve Kulm mentioned Thursday that the company doesn’t touch upon pending litigation. Monteith now not works for the FAA and isn’t named as a defendant within the lawsuit. Reached by telephone, Monteith’s spouse mentioned he was touring Thursday. He didn’t instantly return a message in search of remark.

“On a number of events we might ask the FAA, ‘Hear, is it worthwhile for us to proceed this endeavor?’” mentioned John Simpson, a spokesman for the Spaceport Camden challenge. “Nobody on the FAA ever instructed us, `We don’t see this as a commercially viable challenge.’ Neither is that the FAA’s position.”

In Camden County, a group of 55,000 folks on the Georgia-Florida line, commissioners have lengthy argued {that a} spaceport would carry financial progress not simply from rocket launches, but additionally by attracting associated industries and vacationers.

Opponents say the plans to construct the spaceport on an industrial plot previously used to fabricate pesticides and munitions poses potential environmental and security hazards that outweigh any financial advantages.

The FAA’s closing environmental influence report on Spaceport Camden concluded county officers had submitted an “ample and applicable” plan for coping with fires and different emergencies that may come up from rocket launches.

Nevertheless, the FAA famous when it granted the county’s license to function a spaceport in December {that a} separate and extra complete evaluate can be required earlier than any rockets might be launched. The company careworn in a letter that “no final result is assured.”

In March, opponents pressured a referendum on the challenge after gathering greater than 3,500 petition signatures from registered voters saying they wished the spaceport on the poll.

The outcome was an enormous defeat for the spaceport. The ultimate tally confirmed 72% of voters sided with halting the challenge by overruling commissioners’ prior choice to purchase land for the spaceport.

County officers have given no indication that they plan to desert the spaceport. Simply days after the referendum, they voted to transfer forward with shopping for property for the challenge. In the meantime, commissioners have a authorized case pending in Georgia that seeks to have the referendum declared invalid.

Source link

Click to comment

Georgia

Should South Georgia be worried about potential impacts from the Bird Flu?

Published

3 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Should South Georgia be worried about potential impacts from the Bird Flu?

WALB is working to produce video for this story. In the meantime, we encourage you to watch our livestream.

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) – According to the CDC, H5N1 or Bird Flu, is a virus that originates from wild birds. Both poultry and cows can contract this virus.

Through consumption of dairy products and interactions with infected animals, humans are also at risk for exposure.

“I think that people need to be appropriately concerned. And for most people, that’s going to mean taking precautions if they are engaging in any type of high-risk exposure. So, if they are a dairy or a poultry farm worker, absolutely they need to be taking precautions,” said Dr. Angela Rasmussen, a virologist from the University of Saskatchewan.

The CDC reports that there are 65 confirmed cases of bird flu in the US, so far none in Georgia. But many are at risk for exposure. Experts say those with backyard chickens should wear appropriate personal protective equipment when near those birds.

“When you think about all the various ways that Avian Influenza can spread, the biggest vector usually is wild birds migrating, bringing the disease into an area it wasn’t before. It’s really hard to control that interaction between domesticated birds and wild birds, especially when we want things like cage free eggs,” said Chad Hart, an Agricultural Economist at Iowa State University.

In November, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that over 6 million infected chickens were slaughtered in an attempt to contain the virus from spreading to humans, but recent trends in raw milk consumption have experts worried for those who prefer unpasteurized dairy products.

“I strongly advise people not to drink raw milk. This is not a good way to immunize yourself against H5N1, and it might be a very good way to infect yourself with a massive dose of H5N1 that could lead to severe or fatal disease, and especially in a child,” continued Rasmussen.

Experts say the spread of Bird Flu from one human to another is rare. It’s more likely for an individual to contract the virus through exposure or consumption of infected animals and their by-products. The University of Georgia is currently one of five institutions working with the Food and Drug Administration to test the country’s dairy supply for signs of H5N1.

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook and X (Twitter). For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app from the Apple Store or Google Play.

Source link

Georgia

Georgia Lottery Mega Millions, Cash 3 results for Dec. 24, 2024

Published

13 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

The Georgia Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 24, 2024, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from Dec. 24 drawing

11-14-38-45-46, Mega Ball: 03, Megaplier: 3

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 3 numbers from Dec. 24 drawing

Midday: 2-1-3

Evening: 7-9-7

Night: 3-4-6

Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 4 numbers from Dec. 24 drawing

Midday: 4-5-8-6

Evening: 4-7-0-7

Night: 4-7-9-2

Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash4Life numbers from Dec. 24 drawing

07-23-25-46-57, Cash Ball: 03

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Dec. 24 drawing

Early Bird: 03

Matinee: 08

Drive Time: 04

Primetime: 05

Night Owl: 11

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Georgia FIVE numbers from Dec. 24 drawing

Midday: 2-8-4-4-7

Evening: 7-6-6-4-6

Check Georgia FIVE payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers from Dec. 24 drawing

04-15-25-37-42

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

Prizes under $601: Can be claimed at any Georgia Lottery retail location. ALL PRIZES can be claimed by mail to: Georgia Lottery Corporation, P.O. Box 56966, Atlanta, GA 30343.
Prizes over $600: Must be claimed at Georgia Lottery Headquarters or any Georgia Lottery district office or mailed to the Georgia Lottery for payment.

When are the Georgia Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
Cash 3 (Midday): 12:29 p.m. ET daily.
Cash 3 (Evening): 6:59 p.m. ET daily.
Cash 3 (Night): 11:34 p.m. ET daily.
Cash 4 (Midday): 12:29 p.m. ET daily.
Cash 4 (Evening): 6:59 p.m. ET daily.
Cash 4 (Night): 11:34 p.m. ET daily.
Cash 4 Life: 9:00 p.m. ET daily.
Cash Pop (Early Bird): 8:00 a.m. ET daily.
Cash Pop (Matinee): 1:00 p.m. ET daily.
Cash Pop (Drive Time): 5:00 p.m. ET daily.
Cash Pop (Primetime): 8:00 p.m. ET daily.
Cash Pop (Night Owl): 11:59 p.m. ET daily.
Georgia FIVE (Midday): 12:29 p.m. ET daily.
Georgia FIVE (Evening): 6:59 p.m. ET daily.
Fantasy 5: 11:34 p.m. ET daily.
Jumbo Bucks Lotto: 11:00 p.m. ET on Monday and Thursday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Georgia editor. You can send feedback using this form.

Source link

Georgia

Georgia's immigrant communities brace for mass deportations in new Trump term

Published

20 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Georgia's immigrant communities brace for mass deportations in new Trump term

Georgia immigrant families brace for mass deportations

Immigrant families across Georgia are bracing for mass deportations but what could that look like here in metro Atlanta?

Immigrant families across Georgia are having difficult conversations around the table this holiday season, preparing for the possibility of mass deportations when President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January.

The president-elect has vowed to implement what he has called the “largest deportation program in American history,” and has discussed using the military to do so.

Members of Atlanta’s Hispanic community recently gathered in Brookhaven for a town hall meeting to discuss these policies’ potential impact, and what the weeks and months to come could look like.

“We’ve started preparing the community for what might happen,” Santiago Marquez, CEO of the Buford-based Latin American Association (LAA), said. “For mixed-status families that we have talked to, there’s fear and concern.”

This year, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported that 4,500 people in the Atlanta metro area who were in the country illegally have been deported.

The debate over immigration enforcement intensified after the murder of nursing student Laken Riley in Athens at the hands Venezuelan national Jose Ibarra.

That fueled calls from Republicans for an immigration crackdown.

President-elect Trump has promised to bring troops into communities nationwide to aid in carrying out deportations.

Mark Nevitt, an associate professor at Emory Law, explained the legal framework that could be invoked to facilitate such actions.

“The president does have broad authorities under a law called the Insurrection Act,” Nevitt said. “He’d have to declare an insurrection, which is arguably not the case in this specific instance. There’s not sort of an open insurrection against the president.”

He warned that doing so could harm civil-military relations, threaten civil liberties, and endanger lives.

There are also concerns about the psychological and emotional toll these measures could have on immigrant communities.

“I think that would be terrifying to a lot of people. It might remind them of their countries that they fled,” he said.

Marquez advises individuals who could be affected to educate themselves on their legal rights and to create a contingency plan while awaiting further details on the president-elect’s policies. The LAA has more information on its website.

The Source: FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Rob DiRienzo cited statements from President-elect Donald Trump and spoke to the CEO of the Latin American Association and Emory Law associate professor Mark Nevitt for the information provided in this article.

ImmigrationGeorgiaDonald J. TrumpNews

Source link