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Chamber questions Georgia claim to Tennessee land

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Hayes Ledford

Chattanooga’s chief economic development group is paying new attention to water as Tennessee and Georgia tangle over the key resource.

The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce has sent out an “issue brief” questioning Georgia’s claim to Tennessee land, even as the business group touts the availability of water and power to business prospects.

“Chattanooga’s long emphasis on planning and focusing on resource management is definitely becoming a greater and greater advantage,” said J.Ed. Marston, the Chamber’s vice president of marketing.

Hayes Ledford, the Chamber’s vice president for public affairs, said the brief was done to cut through “a lot of the fog and the emotional part of all this.”

Earlier this year, Georgia legislative resolutions which separately passed the House and Senate urged creation of a Georgia boundary commission and directed Gov. Sonny Perdue to discuss border issues with Tennessee and North Carolina.

Georgia contends an 1818 survey incorrectly marked the border with Tennessee, and redefining the line is a means by which the drought-stricken Peach State can access the Tennessee River.

The Chamber’s brief said the U.S. Supreme Court is the likely venue for the dispute and consideration would take years while doing nothing to address Georgia’s immediate water needs.

Even if Georgia won, the state would have to pay billions of dollars in property reparations, restructuring government and assuming infrastructure, the brief said.

“This is completely impractical,” it said.

While all states have water supply and demand needs, those can be addressed through business, government and people collaborating on solutions through conservation policies and infrastructure development, the brief said.

The Chamber brief said Georgia’s action would “give rise to other states who may revise their state borders given the availability of modern GPS technology.”

The brief said it stands to reason that Alabama and Mississippi would also claim lands in Tennessee along their borders, and North Carolina would have to cede territory to Georgia.

“This is unprecedented,” it said.

Mr. Ledford said the Chamber sent the brief to its members “so they can see the core points of what this issue is all about.”

The drought that began in parts of Georgia and Alabama in early 2006 spread throughout the Southeast last year. Few places, however, were hurt as much as North Georgia.

Mr. Marston said that for companies which use a lot of water and power, the economic development group’s message about abundant and relatively low-cost supplies is an attractive one.

“I don’t want to say we changed our approach. Water has always been key asset,” he said. “The climate situation at the time accentuates our natural advantages.”

Heavy manufacturers use a lot of water for coolant, and certain automobile-related businesses would be included in that segment, Mr. Marston said.

In addition, data centers are large power users and in some cases utilize water as well, and that is a sector at which the Chamber is looking, he said.

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