Section 12-16-5. Public hearing; notice of decision; challenge to decision

   (a) If the responsible official receives, within 30 days of the publication of the notice in the legal organ of an affected county or counties, requests in writing for a public hearing from at least 100 persons who are residents of the State of Georgia, a public hearing shall be held by the responsible official or his designee in each county where the proposed governmental action for which an environmental effects report has been prepared or any part thereof is to take place. The responsible official or his designee may, in the sole discretion of the responsible official, hold a public hearing in each such county at any time after 30 days from the date of publication of the notice has elapsed even if less than 100 requests are received in writing from residents of the State of Georgia but only one public hearing in a county shall be required regardless of whether it is a mandatory or discretionary hearing.

(b) The responsible official shall consider all comments received either in writing or during the public hearing or hearings, if held. After considering these comments, the responsible official shall decide whether to proceed with the proposed governmental action as originally proposed, whether to proceed with changes, or whether not to proceed. Notice of the decision of the responsible official shall be given in writing to the director and published in the legal organ of each county in which the proposed governmental action or any part thereof is to occur.

(c) The decision of the responsible official to proceed with the proposed governmental action shall not create a cause of action in any person, corporation, association, county, or municipal corporation; provided, however, the actions of the responsible official in the procedure of giving notice by publication of the environmental effects report and notice by publication of the decision made based upon the report and public comments, if any, may be challenged pursuant to Chapter 13 of Title 50, the "Georgia Administrative Procedure Act," if the responsible official acts on behalf of a government agency which is subject to that act or by mandamus otherwise; but any such challenge must be commenced within 30 days after the date notice of the responsible official's decision made pursuant to subsection (b) of this Code section is first published in a legal organ of any affected county or counties.

Code 1981, § 12-16-5, enacted by Ga. L. 1991, p. 1728, § 1.