Wilbros Appeal Hearing Continues Today

The next court date in the case of Wilbros vs. the Georgia Environmental Protection Division takes place later today.

Administrative Law Judge Ronit Walker with the Office of State Administrative Hearings will hear oral arguments in Wilbros’ appeal of the EPD’s administrative order against the facility at 1:30 p.m. today at the OSAH office in Atlanta.

The oral arguments will allow both sides in the appeal case to further present their proposed findings of facts in the case.

Those proposed findings of facts were submitted last month and represent the conclusions each side thinks the evidence shows in the case.

It comes after the initial hearing phase of the appeal case which took place earlier this year.

Judge Walker is currently considering whether to grant Wilbros’ appeal of the EPD administrative order.

That order, which the EPD issued back in January, calls on Wilbros to stop receiving waste and begin closure proceedings.

The EPD has accused the Rose Lane facility of violating the state’s Solid Waste Management and Water Quality Acts and associated permits multiple times.

Wilbros, which has been at the center of an odor controversy for years in Stephens County, disputes the EPD’s allegations in the order and calls that order to close unlawful.

A ruling in the appeal will not come until sometime following the oral arguments and whichever side loses this appeal hearing can appeal this judge’s decision to Superior Court.

The EPD’s administrative order cannot be enforced on Wilbros until after the appeal is resolved.