Coweta

County's official vehicles may be a lot more

ozone-friendly if the Georgia Regional Transportation

Authority has anything to do with it.

Last month,

county officials received a letter from GRTA executive

director Catherine Ross asking the county to join the

Partnership for a Smog-Free Georgia and start purchasing

lower-emission vehicles.

GRTA was

the state agency created last year by the General

Assembly to address the economic and health issues of the

Atlanta region's poor air quality.

To join the

partnership, counties will have to submit a smog

reduction plan by April 30, reduce their employees'

single-occupant vehicle trips by 20 percent and review

operations and maintenance activities during the smog

season of May through September.

County

Commission Chairman Vernon "Mutt" Hunter said

the county had already embarked on purchasing

lower-emission vehicles and would do everything that it

could do to comply with GRTA's wishes.

County

administrator Theron Gay said the county is looking to

purchase pickup trucks to replace its aging fleet, but is

having problems finding low-emission trucks.

"I

don't think that's going to be an excuse. This is

mandated by law," Hunter said.

As far as

reducing the single occupant trips, Hunter said the

county administration building's parking lot is already

serving in that capacity.

"If

anywhere is a park and ride lot, it's there. We have a

lot of employees parking there who then get into vehicles

with other employees to head to their work site," he

said.

Hunter and

the other commissioners agreed that the county would

comply with GRTA's wishes as best they could.