Local Issues
Environmental Issues for Cobb/Fulton Properties
August 15, 2019
Concerns over high levels of a toxic gas exposure in the Smyrna/Vinings/N.W. Atlanta area have caused property owners and elected officials to take action.
A company, Sterigenics, has been flagged by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a 2018 study of releasing unsafe levels of ethylene oxide, a carcinogen, from their plants in Smyrna and Covington. Unfortunately, results from these tests were not immediately made public. Residents, property owners and elected officials are working to find the underlying cause of these disturbing results and come to a quick resolution.
Association Governmental Affairs Director Aaron Johnson and GAR Governmental Affairs Jeff Ledford are both working with the Cobb Association of REALTORS® and
state & local elected officials to learn more about the situation. They are also working to clarify questions and concerns REALTORS® have about disclosure and remedies for clients.
On Monday, August 19th, officials hosted a townhall meeting with effected residents in Cobb and Fulton counties, as well as representatives from the EPA and other environmental agencies. The City of Atlanta has joined Smyrna and Cobb County in funding air tests near the facility. While the Sterigenics plant physically sits in Cobb County, it is within one mile of the Atlanta City limits.
To see if you have property in the affected areas, click here. Additionally, please contact Aaron Johnson at 404-732-0631 with any questions, concerns or comments.
About the ARA Market Brief
The Atlanta REALTORS® (ARA Market Brief is compiled by First Multiple Listing Service (FMLS) and provides the only regionally focused synopsis of monthly sales and home prices for single-family residential properties. The Market Brief covers the following 11 counties: Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Paulding, and Rockdale.
The data in this report was compiled by First Multiple Listing Service (FMLS). For more information on details of this month's report, please contact the Association at 404.250.0051.
*Each month, the numbers reported for the previous month are updated to reflect additional recordings.
About the Atlanta REALTORS® Association
The Atlanta REALTORS® Association (ARA) has been an instrumental factor in the growth of real estate in the state of Georgia for more than a century. With over 14,000 members, Atlanta is the largest association in Georgia and is considered to be one of the strongest and most successful REALTOR® organizations in the nation. ARA serves as a central source of information for its members, mainly focusing on real estate education, the promotion of professionalism in the industry, and representing REALTORS® members with legislative initiatives to create positive change for the real estate community.
About First Multiple Listing Service
First Multiple Listing Service (FMLS) is the premier data services provider for real estate professionals in Georgia. FMLS was founded in 1957 by a group of Brokers who wanted to share their listings and connect buyers and sellers. Today FMLS is the largest MLS in Georgia & the 4th largest MLS in the United States, serving nearly 54,000 real estate Agents & Brokers. For additional information or to start a discussion about how to partner with FMLS please contact join@fmls.com.