ATLANTA (AP) One of the state's most prominent business leaders said today that the record-breaking drought gripping Georgia is now the top threat to Atlanta's economy and that the crisis could be a ``dress rehearsal'' for future droughts if the Legislature doesn't take action.<br>
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Sam Williams, the president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, ``water is the number one threat to Atlanta.''<br>
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Williams said the business community is prepared to stand behind a legal challenge that aims to stop the Army Corps of Engineers from releasing more water from Georgia's reservoirs into other states.<br>
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His comments come just days after Governor Perdue warned that the state could take legal action if the Army Corps of Engineers continues to release water into Alabama from a water basin in northwest Georgia.<br>
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As the Legislature prepares to consider a comprehensive drought plan that could guide Georgia's water policy for years, Williams said lawmakers should support the construction of more reservoirs to capture rain water across the state.<br>
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He noted that Atlanta is the largest city in America depending on such a small river as the Chattahoochee.<br>
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(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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