Add It Up: Georgia’s environmental woes
Scrap tires, filthy fish, and lots and lots o’ trash
Number of Georgia rivers, lakes and streams with fish that, according to the state, people should never eat: 7
Percentage of “do-not-eat” fish advisories Georgia issued in 2008 because of mercury contamination: 74
Percentage of Chattahoochee River’s analyzed area that exceeds acceptable levels of fecal coliform bacteria: 39
Number of places the state has deemed contaminated and harmful to humans and animals: 566
Number of illegally dumped scrap tires the state recovered in 2007: 268,000
Number of days in June that air has been considered unhealthy for sensitive groups: 2
Average pounds of trash a Georgian disposes of each day: 6.4
Average pounds of trash an average American disposes each day: 3.08
Percentage of trash Georgians toss in landfills that could be recycled: 40
Sources: Georgia Environmental Protection Division, YouGottaBeKidding.org