Manufactured Gas Plant Site Restoration
From the 1830s to the 1950s, before natural gas was widely available, manufactured gas (made from coal or other sources) was the main source of fuel for street lamps and homes in many communities. Those plants were marvels of technology, even by today's standards, but their operations have left byproducts and residues at the sites. Atlanta Gas Light has led aggressive cleanup and restoration efforts at our nine former manufactured gas plant -- or MGP -- sites in Athens, Augusta, Brunswick, Griffin, Macon, Rome, Savannah, Valdosta and Waycross.
Cleanup Process & Outlook We worked with all these communities to restore the sites to historic and productive uses. After thorough investigations, we designed cleanup programs. Local residents and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) then approved those programs. More than $200 million in economic revitalization and impact has been stimulated by the remediation of these sites.
Atlanta Gas Light's top priority is to ensure the health and safety of our communities. Our aggressive MGP cleanup program is a reflection of this commitment. The former MGP sites present no significant threat to human health or the environment. Most of the byproduct materials are located below the ground surface where contact is unlikely. Drinking-water wells near the sites have not been affected. We will continue to monitor and test groundwater thereafter according to each site's respective approved program. The EPD has supervised the cleanups and assured that they meet state requirements.
Learn more about Atlanta Gas Light's remediation of its former MGP sites by exploring this interactive map