ATLANTA—Area state legislators announced Friday that agreement has been reached between King Finishing Company and the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) that will provide testing of the waters of the Ogeechee River by a third party.

This testing, independent of regular testing by the company and by EPD, had been sought in the wake of a large fish kill in the Ogeechee in May 2011.

The legislators, including Sens. Jack Hill, Buddy Carter and Jesse Stone and Reps. Jon Burns, Ann Purcell, Jan Tankersley and Ron Stephens, had written EPD and asked for the testing to be conducted by a third party to restore the public’s confidence in the process.

The legislators released a letter from Jud Turner, EPD director, to Lee A. DeHihns, attorney for King Finishing, stating that EPD was accepting the conceptual proposal to include third party monitoring as part of the supplemental environmental project (SEP).

The letter from EPD stated that the formalized proposal would be included in the Consent Order with King Finishing including the SEP.

"Area legislators are grateful to Jud Turner, Director of EPD and to King Finishing for agreeing to this request and ensuring the public’s confidence is restored," said Sen. Jack Hill (R-Reidsville). "When we all work together, the public’s interests are advanced."