Alabama loses a round in water war with Atlanta

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama will ask for a full appeals court review of a three-judge panel's decision allowing the Atlanta area to use more water from Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee River than allowed under earlier orders, Attorney General Troy King said Tuesday.

The ruling by the panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed earlier decisions by an Alabama federal district court, which blocked metro Atlanta from getting additional water that state and local officials say is necessary for Atlanta to accommodate expected growth.

The ruling Monday by the three-judge panel, which sends the case back to the Alabama court, could allow Atlanta to take up to 50 percent more water from the lake and river. If the ruling stands, Atlanta eventually would be able to take up to 537 million gallons of water a day out of the lake and river below it.

AG Troy King promises to be "aggressive" in the ongoing defense of the state's share of water resources, saying "we are prepared to exhaust every legal avenue available to the state of Alabama to protect what is the most basic and essential element, which is water."

Good. If King is even half as aggressive as he has been in harrassing gas station owners across the state over unfounded accusations of price-gouging, we might get lucky next time.

Meanwhile - while he has a little free time - King might want to brush up on his Chemistry a bit. Water is certainly basic and essential, but it ain't an element.