The State of the States in Environmental Dispute Resolution:
GEORGIA

Status:
The Department of Community Affairs uses EDR in implementing the Georgia Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Act.¹⁰  The Southeast Negotiation Network (SSN) at Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) provides mediation services. The Consortium on Negotiation and Conflict Resolution at Georgia Tech does theory building for EDR.

Legal Authority:
GA. CODE ANN. §§ 15-23-1 to -12 (1994 & Supp. 1998) (codifying the Georgia Court-Connected Alternative Dispute Resolution Act, which authorizes the establishment of court-connected ADR programs in each county and the assessment of fees to fund the programs);
GA. CODE ANN. §§ 50-8-1 to -17 (1998) (establishing the Department of Community Affairs and directing it to assist, promote, and develop local governments within the state and directing it to act as a liaison between local, state, and federal governments); Ga. ADR R. I–VIII, app. A–C.

Contact Information:
     Mike Elliott
     Consortium on Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
     Georgia Institute of Technology
     Atlanta, GA 30332-0155
     Phone: (404) 894-9841
     Fax: (404) 894-1628

Program Summary

Georgia Tech:
The Consortium on Negotiation and Conflict Resolution at Georgia Tech works primarily on public disputes by doing research and building theory. They have structured an intervention-based dispute resolution system for the university as a whole. The SNN at Georgia Tech was formed in 1986. It focuses on community consensus building and public policy dispute resolution.

Institute of Community and Area Development:
The Institute of Community and Area Development (ICAD) is a public service unit of the University of Georgia. The ICAD works with communities, local governments, and state agencies in collaborative approaches to environmental management. The ICAD provides group decision support in the development and implementation of environmental policy at the local and state levels. The ICAD’s services are available to communities and governments in Georgia as requested.

Carl Vincent Institute of Government:
The Carl Vincent Institute of Government (CVIG) is involved in public policy across the state. The CVIG is hoping to educate public officials in the basics of mediation so they know how to initiate EDR processes. For over twenty-five years, the CVIG has provided mediation services. The CVIG also provides training, designs systems, and researches mediation.

• Mediators should be knowledgeable about the case history, the people involved, and the issues at hand before initiating mediation.
• Substantive knowledge of environmental and scientific issues is very important for successful mediations.
• It takes a lot of time to break down the trust barriers before negotiations can begin.
• Treat everyone with respect.
• Have participants work through process design before negotiating.
• The entity which convenes the EDR process must honor the results of the process for EDR to be effective.

People

Adam R. Saslow, Consensus Solutions, Inc., 400 Perimeter Center Terrace NE, Suite 900, Atlanta, GA 30346-1260, Phone: (770) 392-4265, Fax: (770) 396-3947, Website: http://www.c-solutions.org

Dr. Margaret S. Herman, Carl Vincent Institute of Government, University of Georgia, 201 N. Milledge, Athens, GA 30602, Phone: (706) 542-2736, Fax: (706) 542-9301, Website: http://www.cviog.uga.edu/Info/medskill/ msp.htm

Gail Cowie, Institute of Community and Area Development, Treanor House, University of Georgia, 1234 S. Lumkin St., Athens, GA 30602, Phone: (706) 542-3350, Fax (706) 542-6189.

Southeast Negotiation Network, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0155, Phone: (404) 894-2357, Fax: (404) 894-1628.

10   GA. CODE ANN. §§ 12-8-20 to -40.3 (1996 & Supp. 1998).

Indiana Conflict Resolution Institute
Last updated: June 1999
Comments: ICRI Administrator
Copyright 1999 - Indiana University, Bloomington