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Alabama State Parks will be improved by using products made in Alabama.

Officials announced Thursday more than two dozen water and wastewater projects at Alabama State Parks. Many of these projects will use ductile iron pipe manufactured in Alabama. The projects are funded through the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and administered by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM).

“We will be improving Alabama State Parks by using Alabama-made products built by Alabama workers and used in projects designed by Alabama engineers and installed by Alabama contractors,” said Chris Blankenship, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, which oversees State Parks.

“These projects will strengthen our state parks and support Alabama jobs at the same time. It’s always a good thing when two state agencies, like the Department of Conservation and ADEM, can work together on projects that benefit Alabamians and contribute to our state’s economy.”

The announcement was made at Lakepoint State Park, where one of the first projects put out for bidding will be completed. The scope of work for every project mandates all ductile iron pipe used must be made by American companies.

A majority of the ductile iron pipe made in the United States is manufactured in Alabama by three companies – U.S. Pipe, American Cast Iron Pipe Company, and McWane Cast Iron Pipe Company, all of which are located in metro Birmingham.

Elected officials joined State Parks staffers and officials from the Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association at Lakepoint State Park for Thursday’s announcement, along with local business and civic leaders.

The list of projects featuring Alabama-made ductile iron pipe includes upgrades at many of the 21 State Parks, including Wind Creek State Park in Alexander City, Lake Guntersville State Park, Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, and Monte Sano State Park in Huntsville.

“The U.S. Pipe employees in Alabama work hard every day to provide Alabama-made, resilient, and reliable water transmission solutions,” said Ryan McCullough, president of U.S. Pipe. “We are proud of our 126-year history in Alabama and honored to be part of this initial project with Alabama State Parks. We thank the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for specifying domestic ductile iron pipe, the most resilient piping system made today, for their water transmission.”

The Alabama State Parks is a division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and maintains 21 state parks encompassing more than 50,000 acres of land and water in Alabama.

State and local officials have begun to appoint members to a newly reformed Birmingham Water Works Board after Governor Kay Ivey’s official enactment of SB330 early yesterday afternoon

The new law establishes a regional board with broader representation than just the City of Birmingham, which historically has accounted for a disproportionate level of control over the state’s largest water utility. Lawmakers addressed those issues in this year’s legislative session.

Under the new law, the board’s composition shifts from nine members – six appointed by Birmingham officials – to seven members appointed by various state and regional authorities. 

That new board began taking shape on Thursday as Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth and Jefferson County Commission President Jimmie Stephens announced their first appointments.

RELATED: Alabama lawmakers op-ed: Why we must reform the Birmingham Water Works Board

Appointments must be made within 20 days of the enactment of the new law by the Governor, the Lt. Governor, the Jefferson County Commission President, the Birmingham Mayor, the Birmingham City Council, and the governing bodies of Blount and Shelby counties, which house major reservoirs supplying the system. 

As proposed by lawmakers and enacted by the governor yesterday, SB330 requires those appointed to the new regional board possess specific professional qualifications to ensure competent oversight. According to those provisions, appointees must demonstrate a varied balance of specific strengths such as financial expertise, such as banking or long-term debt management, engineering proficiency, extensive experience in managing complex business operations comparable to water or sewer systems.

RELATED: Birmingham Water Works overhaul bill clears House committee, awaits final passage

Today, Jimmie Stephens, President of the Jefferson County Commission, announced his qualified appointment in Phillip R. Wiedmeyer, a retired professional engineer with more than four decades of experience in the Alabama business and energy sectors. 

Wiedmeyer spent 46 years with Alabama Power Company. Over the course of his career, Wiedmeyer held various roles in the design, construction, and licensing of power plants, as well as in external affairs.

“Beyond his professional achievements, Mr. Wiedmeyer has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to public service through leadership roles in numerous civic, transportation, and community organizations, including the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition, the Coalition for Regional Transportation, and the Birmingham Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Transportation Citizens Committee,” Stephens said in a statement to Yellowhammer News. 

“Phillip is a man of exceptional character, proven leadership, and deep organizational experience. I am confident that his appointment will bring valuable insight, accountability, and integrity to this newly restructured Board as it works to serve the water needs of our citizens across the region.”

Bill Morris, a longtime public servant and utility manager, who has spent decades contributing to the growth and development of the regional community in St. Clair County, was appointed by Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth, Yellowhammer News confirmed on Thursday.

Since 2003, Morris has served as the general manager of Leeds Water Works, where he has worked closely with engineers on current and future projects to promote regional growth. His expertise includes a thorough knowledge of Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) rules and regulations for water utilities, as well as experience with bond issuance and the State Revolving Fund program.

In the past 24 hours since the legislation was signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey, the City of Birmingham’s attempts to maintain control over the water utility have been unsuccessful in both legal and logistical means.

On Tuesday, the city filed a federal lawsuit challenging the law, before U.S. District Judge Emily C. Marks quickly denied the city’s emergency request to block its implementation.

Separately, the Birmingham City Council approved a resolution to purchase the Birmingham Water Works Board’s assets for an absurd $1.

However, this faced immediate legal challenges.

Phillip Wiedmeyer, the first member appointed to the new regional board established, filed a federal lawsuit stating clearly that the board ceased to exist upon the governor’s signing of the bill.

Yellowhammer News requested information from Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin’s office regarding when he plans to announce his appointment to the new board. At the time of publication, no response had been received.

Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.

A petition started by Alexander City citizens concerned with water quality and administrative mismanagement has surpassed 1,000 signatures. In response, Alexander City Mayor Woody Baird resorted to singling out individual citizens on the city website for daring to start a petition.

“This petition is being presented to you as a show of hands of residents of Alexander City and surrounding communities begging for your help with the situation of water quality. With the continued smell, color, and the amount of toxins the EPA, ADEM, and the EWG have shown through testing clearly shows that our filtration system is outdated and not working. The amount of chemicals and the types of chemicals used over and over have now produced what is a poison cocktail,” the petition to Governor Ivey reads.

Many have raised concerns about the water quality in Alex City and the additional costs on ratepayers who want to drink clean water.

According to the petition, “we as residents having deteriorating pipes and a treatment system that is outdated and clearly no longer serving its purpose…paying for water then having to spend hundreds out of pocket to filter it again inside our homes is ridiculous.”

RELATED: Alexander City residents continue reporting foul smelling, cloudy drinking water

The petition’s authors also address the questions surrounding a $9 million loan approved by Mayor Baird and other city leaders.

The loan has become an unfunded liability for which the water system and ratepayers are on the hook. “The taxpayers now hold the burden of repaying this debt. If we are responsible, then we ask for accountability as to where such a large amount of money went,” petitioners write.

Baird responded to the petition with a letter distributed to media and posted to the city’s website.

In it, Baird singled out the petition’s author by name and warned other citizens about signing it, saying, “I urge you to be cautious about adding your name to the database of organizations like MoveOn.org. Do a little research first.”

Addressing the unfunded $9 million loan, Baird said, “the $9 million loan from ADEM is for a wastewater line for Alabama Graphite—completely unrelated to potable water.”

Some citizens feel that Baird is sidestepping the core issue, which is what is being done to keep ratepayers from eating the cost of this project. 

According to the Alex City Outlook, “Baird said Westwater is supposed to be footing the bill through prepayments then be paid back in sewer costs once the plant is running. However, Baird said the city has been invoicing Westwater for 13 months and have not seen any payments in return. Currently, the graphite plant owes Alexander City $957,500, according to Alex City finance director Romy Stamps.”

The fundamental question remains: Will ratepayers be responsible for the $9 million loan? Westwater’s lack of payments continues to be troubling to citizens who are already paying higher rates but are receiving poorer water quality in return. 

While ADEM has not confirmed any medical issues arising from the water’s odor and smell, according to an ADEM spokesman, “they can make the water unpleasant to drink.” 

Baird has stated that a “granulated activated charcoal filter” could be a possible solution to the problem but that “the price is what got me pushed off right now”. According to Baird, the charcoal filter would cost $20 million and will take 8-12 months to install.

Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.

Last week, Alabama’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Joint Oversight Committee met with executive agency representatives about the process by which the state agencies are spending one-time federal COVID-19 relief funds.

The Committee is chaired by State Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore). Albritton stressed the importance of making sure all of the ARPA funds are spent by the deadline so that the state does not have to return any of the COVID relief money to the federal government.

Susan Wilhelm is the Assistant State Finance Director.

“We do not expect any of those funds to not be fully obligated by the Treasury by our deadline,” said Wilhelm.

“The most important thing I would like to mention is the report due on July 31,” said Wilhelm. “We are about to start work on this end of quarter report. Last year’s report, when we mostly had ARPA1 and just some ARPA2 was over 400 pages. This year’s report is probably going to be twice that.”

“We are looking at doing another ARPA meeting on the August September time frame after that report is complete,” said Albritton. “ARPA1 and ARPA2 you anticipate being completely and fully obligated?”

Wilhelm replied, “Yes.”

Most of the ARPA funds are being spent by the Alabama Department of Community Affairs (ADECA) and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) — but there are also smaller amounts being spent by the Alabama Department of Mental Health, $20 million with the Southern Research Institute, and other agencies.

State Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison (D-Birmingham) asked if the entire ARPA 1 and 2 have been fully MOAs (Memorandums of Understandings that the group being given the money will spend the money).

Wilhelm reported yes, but that there were some grant programs for after-school enrichment programs that did not spend all of the dollars that they could have so the Finance Department if going back to grant recipients that had COVID expenses that were not reimbursed in order to distribute those unspent dollars.

Ashley Toole and Maureen Neighbors were there representing ADECA.

ADECA has been tasked with expanding broadband services to areas of the state that were unserved by highspeed internet when the pandemic began.

“We are approximately 33% complete,” Neighbors said of ADECA’s middle mile program. “The Middle mile network, that project was bid out in 2023.”

Neighbors explained that that first middle mile project was $82.45 million. “The governor announce $188 million in awards in February. Those should be executed very soon.”

Neighbors explained that those awards will add more than 4,000 miles of middle mile infrastructure with a focus on community anchor programs. Community anchor institutions are city halls, schools, libraries, hospitals, civic centers, etc. ADECA is looking at over 800 community anchor programs.

Neighbors said that there was some money left over from the AIM1 program so that two counties that were left out in AIM1 are the focus for that left over funding.

“We are anticipating an announcement from the Governor real soon about the applicants,” said Neighbors. “We have conditionally awarded 66 projects.”

“We are requiring them to do quarterly reports so we can monitor their status,” Neighbors said. “We have 50 applications that we are still reviewing. We hope to be conditionally awarding those in the next few weeks.”

Albritton said that the goal is that “We will have that Infrastructure in the ground by Dec 31 2026.”

“They have until February of 2026 to complete the projects,” said Neighbors of the broadband award recipients. “If they ask for an extension they would have just a few months.”

“AIM2 rewards should be made very soon soon,” Neighbors continued. “The deadline for obligation is the end of this calendar year but we are not going to wait that long.”

Albritton asked, “Is it anticipated that we will have all the funds obligated by this point?”

“I hope so,” said Neighbors.

“If we don’t have everything obligated by then the question is how do we step in or get involved at that point,” said Albritton.

State Sen. Chris Elliott (R-Josephine) said, “We are looking at $148 million.” “That’s $5937 per connection.” “When this begin I mentioned Starlink (a satellite internet provider) to the director. Is the Department looking at technologies that are much lower cost to implement especially particularly when we get out in rural areas where the cost of connection could be $8,000 or $10,000 per rooftop?” “Are we considering technologies that cost $600 a rooftop instead of $6000 and covered ten times as many people.”

Neighbors said that any provider has the opportunity to apply for the funds.

“We are waiting on them to apply?” Elliott responded.

“We are implementing the federal program as we are required to,” Neighbors said. “

“That’s a little disappointing,” Elliot said.

Chairman Albritton asked ADECA to provide an explanation as to why Starlink and other wireless broadband options have not been contacted by the next committee meeting in August.

“As mentioned by the Senator that was asked from the get-go and the answer is somewhat unsatisfactory,” said Albritton. “Our obligation is to make sure the money is used in the best way possible, and the concern here is that we’re dealing with old technology, and not in the future. We want to make sure that’s where we are going in.”

ADEM has been tasked with waters and sewer projects across the state.

ADEM has been tasked with spending $875 million in combined ARPA1 and ARPA2 projects. Since the state is requiring that local water systems provide at least a 35 percent match for many of those projects, the actual amount of water, sewer, and stormwater projects across the state will be $1.3 billion.

The Committee praised ADEM for their diligence in awarding the money and making sure that these projects begin in a timely manner and stay on track so that all of the money is spent by the Dec. 31, 2026 deadline.

To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com

The Alabama Department of Environmental Management announced it awarded $5.8 million to the Prichard Water Works and Sewer Board for improvements to the local region’s water tanks, to conduct thorough audits, lead design work, and assist with the application process of drinking water and sewer related projects.

“ADEM’s goal is getting Prichard to the point where it can adequately meet the water and sewer needs of residents now and in the future,” ADEM Director Lance LeFleur said.

“Extreme water losses, operation and management issues, and financial mismanagement have left the system in dire condition. We are pleased to be able to work with the receiver as he works to resolve some very challenging issues.”

RELATED: EPA awards $52.6M to ADEM for drinking water projects

A study performed last year said water leaks were costing the system about $75,000 a month. In addition to leaky, corroded water lines, ADEM also identified problems with PWWSB water tanks, such as mildew and corrosion on the outside of the tanks.

“Both the water and sewer system in Prichard suffer from poor maintenance and the lack of capital improvements,” LeFleur said. “Resolving these issues will be a long-term effort and commitment. ADEM will continue to assist PWWSB and the receiver to bring drinking water and sewer services into compliance and to protect the health and well-being of residents.”

John Young, who was placed in charge of the system last year via court order, explained his role and praised ADEM for providing the funding.

“As the court-appointed receiver, my ultimate priority is to ensure the reliability and affordability of water and wastewater services while protecting the environment and public health of the people in Prichard and Chickasaw,” said Young.

“This grant from ADEM is a strong start toward a multi-year restoration project of essential water and wastewater infrastructure that has been neglected for too long.”

PWWSB reported monthly water losses in the past year that sometimes exceeded 60 percent system wide – six times the industry standard of 10 percent.

Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.

Three years ago this month, I made a promise to the people of this state that the Alabama Department of Environmental Management will do everything within its power to ensure the plans by power companies to close and secure their coal ash ponds will protect our land and water resources now and in the future.

Despite recent contentions to the contrary, we have kept our promise.

All the actions ADEM has taken since – and even before then – were to make sure the millions of tons of coal combustion residuals (CCR), or coal ash, that had accumulated over decades in massive impoundments at the power plants are dealt with in a safe, responsible and effective manner. 

We have involved the public in every step.

During the Obama administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency adopted a federal rule governing CCR following the 2008 collapse of a TVA coal ash impoundment in Tennessee. That rule took effect in 2015.

Three years later, the Alabama Environmental Management Commission approved state regulations based on the federal EPA rule.

The goal of both the federal and state rules is to provide guidelines for closing the CCR ponds so they no longer pose the threat of a spill, and to prevent or reduce groundwater impacts due to contaminants that leach from the sites.

In our rulemaking process, ADEM held public hearings, provided public comment periods, and consulted regularly with EPA to make sure we got it right. ADEM’s regulations mirrored the federal CCR regulations. In fact, ADEM’s regulations were developed and revised in consultation with EPA over several years.

EPA has stated the ADEM rule meets all federal requirements and is at least as protective as the federal rule.

Both the EPA and state rules provide the electric utility operators two options in closing the CCR ponds: they can excavate the millions of tons of CCR and either move it to a lined landfill or find another use for it; or they can cap in place.

ADEM does not and cannot dictate to the power companies what method they must use. Alabama Power, PowerSouth and TVA all chose to cap in place, which they had the right to do. 

Generally, with cap in place, the utility will remove the water from the CCR ponds and treat it. They will then move the residuals to a smaller footprint farther away from waterways, build barriers to prevent flooding, and cover the impoundments to keep the contents in place and water out. Finally, any groundwater contamination will be remediated, and a groundwater monitoring system will be installed to continually test groundwater quality.

ADEM’s role is to ensure their plans meet all federal and state standards and provide the safeguards necessary to prevent spills and protect both waterways and groundwater.

My pledge to hold the power companies to the stringent standards came as ADEM prepared to hold the first of a series of public hearings on the utilities’ CCR permit applications. The hearings allowed the public – residents, environmental groups and others – opportunities to weigh in on the proposed permits. 

After careful analyses and consideration of public comments, ADEM’s engineers and scientists determined the plans did meet the required environmental protection standards.

Of course, not everyone was happy with our decision. That is no surprise, considering that some environmental groups are often at odds with regulated industries on permitting issues.

What is surprising, however, is EPA’s new stance in opposition to our state program.

What changed?

Not ADEM. We did not weaken or soften the state CCR regulations. Nor did we detour from the requirements of the federal CCR rule.

What did change was EPA’s interpretation of its own rule. The agency now contends that Alabama’s CCR closure permits are not as protective as the federal regulations on which they were based, and it proposes to reject Alabama’s CCR permitting program.

EPA’s new interpretations are being widely challenged on many fronts – legally, environmentally, economically, practically, and how they potentially adversely impact disadvantaged communities.

However, I do want to make another promise to the people of Alabama.

Although we cannot predict how the challenges to EPA’s new interpretations will end, ADEM CCR regulations and closure permits will comply with all federal regulations and court rulings now and in the future.

After all, ADEM’s goal remains the same – to ensure coal combustion residuals are timely, safely and properly disposed of in a manner that protects public health and the environment.

Lance LeFleur is director of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.

Alabama has experienced more than its fair share of disasters.

In the past 20 years, the state has spent at least half a billion dollars to match FEMA funds while Alabamians themselves have spent tens of billions on property damages and losses.

Today, with an executive order creating the Alabama Resilience Council, Gov. Kay Ivey is establishing permanent partnerships to withstand the test of future disasters.

The Council will work with local, state, federal, and private sector partners to make communities stronger, safer, and able to recover quicker.

“Alabama is growing like never before, and it’s imperative we take necessary steps today to preserve our historic progress for tomorrow,” Ivey said. “Protecting the well-being of our people, both physically and financially, should be a top priority shared by leaders at all levels of government.”

Alabama Emergency Management Agency Director Jeff Smitherman and Alabama Department of Insurance Commissioner Mark Fowler will serve as co-chairs.

“This council presents a great opportunity to bring stakeholders together to explore partnerships and create synergy in our efforts in our state,” said Smitherman. “It creates a platform to include key players that can significantly increase the strength and resilience of Alabama at all levels.”

The council includes:

Other partners to appoint a representative include:

Grayson Everett is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270 for coverage of the 2023 legislative session.

The Alabama Department of Environmental Management announced the formation of a group to decide if changes in laws, regulations, and resources are necessary in the wake of the fire at a landfill in Moody. The group will consist of officials at state and local levels.

The lack of response to the fire revealed shortcomings of state and local governments’ abilities to handle situations that are not within their defined regulated activities, even though those situations may be harmful to the public.

“The underground fire was an unprecedented event that unfortunately affected numerous residents,” ADEM Director Lance LeFleur said. “It also showed gaps in the authority and ability of both state and local governmental to respond and effectively deal with it. No agency in the state had the resources or expertise to extinguish such a fire.”

He also spoke about the goal of the group.

“What we hope to do by forming this working group is determine what we need to be better prepared and able to respond more effectively should a similar situation happen in the future,” he said.

The members are LeFleur; Jeff Smitheran, director of the Alabama Emergency Management Agency; Rick Oates, state forester with the Alabama Forestry Commissior; Sonny Brasfield, executive director of the Association of County Commissions of Alabama; Greg Cochran, executive director of the Alabama League of Municipalities; State Sen. Lance Bell (R-Pell City); and State Rep. Danny Garrett (R-Trussville).

Bell and Garrett represent areas impacted by the fire.

“The smoke from this fire has created hardships for a lot of people in the area,” Bell said. “They are worried about their health, their homes and even their businesses. We want to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

“But if it does, we want to make sure the necessary resources are in place to deal with it.”

The landfill fire has been burning since November.

Originally, the Moody Fire Department responded but couldn’t do anything due to the fire burning underground. ADEM then took things over and requested assistance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, who said that it lacked the authority to act.

With limited options remaining, state officials then asked the EPA to conduct air-monitoring tests around the site of the fire. Those tests showed high levels of benzene and other chemicals in the smoke, which warranted the EPA to step in.

The agency has been attempting to put the fire out since Jan. 18 and it anticipates that it could take several more weeks to extinguish the blaze.

Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.

The fire at the landfill in St. Clair County that has been burning since November may be out in a “matter of weeks,” according to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.

ADEM Director Lance LeFleur released a statement Friday with an update on the fire that was originally reported Nov. 25.

Last month, officials said the inferno is burning around 25 to 50 acres and in certain places more than 100 feet below the surface.

“First, I want to express our sincere empathy and concern for those who have had their lives upended by the fire at the vegetative waste disposal site near Moody,” he said. “We know many have been affected by smoke.

“Some have had to temporarily move to avoid exposure. We have heard people’s frustrations – and we share them.”

LeFleur said the Environmental Protection Agency began work to put out the fire Jan. 19. The EPA was called in because the state and local agencies did not have the resources to fight a fire of this nature.

“Work is proceeding well,” he said. “Smoke from the fire has been greatly reduced.

“EPA expects the fire to be out in a matter of weeks, if not sooner.”

LeFleur said EPA air monitoring tests found the presence of four chemicals above the accepted minimal risk level on the fire site itself and two of the chemicals above the accepted minimal risk level offsite at a single home about 300 feet from the fire.

However, he said, “Test results show the fire does not appear to be having any discernable effect on water quality. We will continue to monitor water quality and report our findings along with air monitoring results.”

Calling the fire an extraordinary event, he said it exposed shortcomings in the ability and authority of state and local governments to respond to situations that are outside the scope of regulated activities but, nonetheless, pose risks to the public.

“We are in talks with representatives of county governments and other agencies about ways to close these gaps,” LaFleur said. “Our goal, as always, is to protect the health and safety of our citizens and the environment, and to make sure we have the tools and authority to do so.

“We must work together and do all we can to ensure an incident like this does not happen again.”

LaFleur said ADEM will investigate the cause of the fire “and take appropriate enforcement action against the site operator after the fire is out.”

A fire that has been burning for more than a month at a landfill close to Moody, has caused the St. Clair County Commission to issue a State of Emergency declaration.

Commission Chairman Stan Batemon told reporters the declaration gives the county more authority to fight the fire.

“That resolution (state of emergency declaration) literally opens the door for St. Clair County to legally get on that property, to legally put the fire out, and to legally expend government money on that property,” Bateman said.

The fire was originally reported Nov. 25. Officials say the inferno is burning around 25 to 50 acres and in certain places more than 100 feet below the surface. It has caused a large portion of Birmingham to be exposed to smoke with unknown contaminates.

The executive director of the Birmingham area air quality group GASP, Michael Hansen, was critical of the state’s response.

“It’s absolutely unacceptable that state agencies are not doing more to protect the people from this dangerous air pollution event,” Hansen said. “We need a multi-agency state and local response to this situation.

“ADEM (Alabama Department of Environmental Management) has not been doing its job. They’ve been asleep at the wheel, and it’s really unfortunate.”

ADEM officials said putting out the fire will not be easy because of its location.

They said there will be an investigation into what may have caused the fire. Officials have also advised people who have “breathing-related health conditions,” to consider “temporarily locating.”

The Jefferson County Department of Health, which is in charge of regulating pollution throughout Birmingham, cannot act because the fire is out of its jurisdiction.

Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.

MONTGOMERY – Due to excessive water loss being experienced by many public water systems in the state, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management is requesting that residents and businesses discontinue dripping faucets once temperatures are above freezing.

Water utilities across the state are struggling to keep up with increased consumer demand, exacerbated by leaks from frozen pipes as they thaw. The public can help by checking for leaks inside and outside of their homes or businesses. If leaks are found, they should shut off the water supply until the leaks are repaired. Customers are urged to contact their local water supplier if they have a major leak and are unable to shut off their water supply or need other assistance.

As an alternative to leaving outdoor faucets dripping as a means to prevent pipes and faucets from freezing, water customers should consider installing insulated covers that protect these fixtures during very cold weather. Insulated covers are inexpensive, easy to install, and available at home improvement centers and hardware stores.

Also, if water service is not imperative at your building during this time, you are urged to turn off the water at the meter, drain the water lines at the lowest spigot on the property, leaving the faucet on, and turn the water back on after the outside temperature rises above 32 degrees.

As the U.S. House of Representatives takes its six-week recess, a member of Alabama’s congressional delegation is using the opportunity to hear from the local construction industry.

U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl (R-Mobile), as part of the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Alabama’s hardhat tours, visited construction sites Monday to learn of the industry’s impact on the region.

“What a great morning learning more about commercial construction projects driving the economic engine of south Alabama,” said Carl. “I toured projects in Mobile and Baldwin County, and then I stopped by the Associated Builders and Contractors Academy of Craft Training to see firsthand how they are training our local workforce to meet the needs of industry right here in the district.”

In a visit to the Shops at Point Clear, a project of White-Spunner Construction, Carl discussed his efforts regarding immigration and workforce development.

The Point Clear construction site features an anchoring grocery store, which spans more than 48,000 square feet, includes a drive-thru pharmacy along with meat and fish counters and a restaurant-style balcony seating area. The grocery retailer is accompanied by 14 storefronts that total nearly 70,000 square feet of grocery and retail space.

The congressman, according to White-Spunner Construction, said he wanted to ensure immigration was offered in a safe and legal manner for the benefit of the local economy.

John White-Spunner, president and CEO of White-Spunner Construction, said the company was “proud to have Congressman Carl representing the Mobile area and the needs of the construction industry.”

“We look forward to his leadership for years to come.”

ABC of Alabama President Jay Reed touched on the needs of the association’s membership regarding the industry’s workforce shortage. The hardhat tours, said Reed, help elected officials gain an understanding of industry issues.

“These hardhat tours are a best-case scenario for boots on the ground regarding commercial construction’s impact on our state,” said Reed. “The workforce shortage particularly in the Mobile region is astounding and our membership wants us front and center, helping to ensure elected officials understand our needs.”

Carl also visited the job sites of the Fairhope Publix Shopping Center and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management Coastal Laboratory.

South Alabama’s commercial construction projects, according to Carl, act as a driver of economic activity for the region.

Dylan Smith is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL

When you visit Lake Guntersville State Park or the DeSoto Falls area at DeSoto State Park, the ride will be noticeably smoother after the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) teamed with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) to use material from recycled tires to resurface roads in the parks.

Thanks to an $829,080 grant from ADEM to Alabama State Parks, the repaving project covered the access roads and parking areas for the lodge and campground store at Lake Guntersville State Park, as well as the parking lot at DeSoto Falls. At Lake Guntersville, State Parks provided an additional $500,000 to use the special asphalt to pave other roads in the park.

The material used for the paving utilizes new technology that combines the rubber from recycled tires with asphalt compound to produce a superior road surface. In the recycling process, the tires are ground up and material like steel from belts is removed. The end result is fine, ground rubber that can be mixed with the asphalt and other materials to make an improved resurfacing material.

Studies have shown rubberized asphalt can last up to 50% longer and is less prone to crack or develop potholes. Because this is a new technology, the National Center for Asphalt Technology at Auburn University certified the asphalt mix.

The project would not have happened without the forward thinking of the ADEM Solid Waste Branch. They mentioned the possibility of the project to ADCNR deputy commissioner Ed Poolos, who joined ADCNR after 25 years with ADEM. Poolos loved the idea and shared it with Conservation commissioner Chris Blankenship and State Parks director Greg Lein.

“At DCNR we have many roadways on our radar we want to upgrade. When old friends at ADEM began telling me about this new asphalt mix and its benefits and how it might meet our needs, the ideas for this project began to come together,” Poolos said. “It was great to think of a joint project that would promote environmental health and enhance Alabama’s conservation and recreation at the same time. Anytime you can convert something like old, used tires into new roads and parking that benefit our State Parks and Alabama’s citizens who use them, that’s very exciting.”

Lein expanded on that thought.

“Within the State Parks community and the folks who enjoy our facilities, there’s a pretty large segment interested in recycling and recycled products,” Lein said. “So, being able to take a car tire that often ends up in a landfill or a ditch or a wetland and is a source of pollution and recycle it, that idea is very appealing. That recycled material not only resurfaces the road but makes for a better road.”

In addition to the parking lot repaving project, DeSoto State Park also completed renovations of the swimming area, the railing, and the restrooms at the falls.

“Resurfacing the parking lot at DeSoto Falls was icing on the cake,” Lein said.

At the ribbon-cutting earlier this year, commissioner Blankenship pointed out the benefits of using the special asphalt, which lasts longer, is quieter and provides more traction than traditional asphalt.

“We were thrilled with the opportunity to resurface the roads and paved areas of the park with a material that will require less maintenance, hold up better in all kinds of weather conditions and greet park-goers with a more pleasant ride,” commissioner Blankenship said. “We are extremely grateful to ADEM for making this money available.”

“This is really a tremendous project between two state agencies to do good things for the people of Alabama. We have a couple of these events and a couple of these type projects,” he added. “We’re working with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management on multiple fronts. It really does give me a good feeling as Conservation Commissioner to work with another state agency to achieve these results. When you can use resources from different agencies to do good for the public, we should do that. This is how government should work.”

When tires are purchased in Alabama, $1 is assessed on each tire to go into the state’s Scrap Tire Fund administered by ADEM. That money is used to promote recycling of discarded tires and to remove scrap tires from illegal dumps and roadsides. The Scrap Tire Fund also reimburses local governments for the costs of picking up discarded tires along highways and clearing unauthorized tire dumpsites.

ADEM director Lance LeFleur said State Parks provided a perfect venue to demonstrate the benefits of using recycled tires to improve the repaving process.

“For many years, old scrap tires have been a nuisance,” LeFleur said. “We have cleaned up tire dumpsites all over the state where tires collect water and become breeding areas for mosquitoes and other pests. Tires strewn along roadsides and waterways are also a common sight. Even when tires are properly disposed of, they oftentimes end up in landfills, which is not ideal either because they take up valuable landfill space and over time can work themselves to the surface. The best way to deal with old tires is to find an alternative beneficial use, thereby creating a market for them. If scrap tires had more value, fewer of them would be dumped and become environmental problems.”

“We are extremely happy to partner with State Parks on these projects, first at Lake Guntersville and then at DeSoto, and we look forward to possibly growing the program to include other parks,” he continued. “Demonstration projects like these are critical to showing there are practical uses for old tires, and there can be a viable, sustainable market for them that benefits both the environment and our roads.”

David Rainer is an award-winning writer who has covered Alabama’s great outdoors for 25 years. The former outdoors editor at the Mobile Press-Register, he writes for Outdoor Alabama, the website of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

As part of its campaign to educate the public about the need to keep Alabama’s biorich watersheds free of litter that could pose threats to marine life, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) has installed in Mobile County the first of several wildlife sculptures to be placed at state welcome centers.

The “Help Keep Our Waters Clean” project is designed to promote awareness about watersheds and reduce nonpoint source pollution entering waterways that drain to the Gulf of Mexico. A goal of the project is to engage citizens in the fight against litter through education and outreach.

The project is funded with a $500,000 competitive grant the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Trash Free Waters Program awarded to ADEM in late 2020. Since then, ADEM has been working with the Alabama Department of Transportation and the Alabama Tourism Department to implement the project.

One part of the “Help Keep Our Waters Clean” project is placing signs along interstates to inform motorists they are entering a watershed and to encourage them not to litter. Another part includes the sculptures and signs placed at welcome centers to draw motorists’ attention by highlighting wildlife and conveying a message about reducing land-based trash from entering waterbodies by abating roadway litter.

The first of eight such sculptures, a loggerhead sea turtle, has been installed at the Grand Bay Welcome Center along Interstate 10 in Mobile County. About 321,800 people visit the welcome center each year.

The 10-foot-long sea turtle sculpture is filled with plastic bottles – items that are commonly discarded and found in litter. Litter along roadsides and on other grounds often ends up in the water. According to EPA’s WasteWise Program, plastics can require 100 to 400 years to break down. In addition, producing new plastic from recycled material uses only two-thirds of the energy required to manufacture plastic from raw materials.

Proper disposal or recycling of plastics and other items can help keep them out of our waterways, ADEM Director Lance LeFleur said.

“This project educates participants about the importance of our rivers, streams and other bodies of water, and creates opportunities for them to actually get involved in efforts to prevent and collect litter,” LeFleur said.

ADEM encourages visitors to the welcome centers to take pictures with the sculptures and share them on their social media channels using the hashtags #HelpKeepOurWatersClean and #TrashFreeWaters.

For more information about this project, visit adem.alabama.gov/trashfreewaters/.

(Courtesy of Alabama NewsCenter)

Officials with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) working with the Alabama State Parks officially revealed the new roads and parking areas at Lake Guntersville Park on Monday.

The new pathways are paved with a new, longer-lasting asphalt made of recycled tires.

ADCNR commissioner Chris Blankenship said, “We were thrilled with the opportunity to resurface the roads and paved areas of the park with a material that will require less maintenance, hold up better in all kinds of weather conditions and greet park-goers with a more pleasant ride.”

The repaving was paid for in part by an $829,080 grant from ADEM to Alabama State Parks. The money comes from the state’s Scrap Tire Fund. One dollar from the sale of each tire in the state goes into the fund, which is used to remove scrap tires from illegal dumps, along roadsides and other places, as well as promote the recycling of discarded tires.

ADEM director Lance LeFleur said, “The best way to deal with old tires is to find an alternative beneficial use, thereby creating a market for them. If scrap tires had more value, fewer of them would be dumped and become environmental problems.”

According to a press release, studies show that asphalt made with ground-up tires have many advantages over traditional asphalt. They last up to 50% longer, are less prone to potholing and cracking, and rubber-modified asphalt is quieter, reduces tire wear, improves fuel mileage because of lower rolling resistance, and is safer due to better traction and reduced misting on wet roads.

For the environment, removing these tires prevents landfills from filling quicker and stops illegal dumping sites. This process creates a new market for used tires, according to LeFleur, making them more likely to be scrapped instead of dumped.

Blankenship stated, “[T]he parks system plans to use rubber-modified asphalt to repave roads at DeSoto State Park later this year.”

“This complements the work we have done and are continuing to do to improve the campsites, cottages and other amenities to make a visit to a state park even more appealing and enjoyable,” he added. “It’s an investment that pays dividends now and, in the future, because we know the roads and parking areas will hold up better over time.”

Friday, Gov. Kay Ivey announced that $225 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds had been provided for statewide water and sewer infrastructure improvements.

The agreement signed between the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) and the Alabama Department of Finance states that ADEM will distribute grants to “qualifying public water and sewer systems for the purpose of improving access to clean water and sewer infrastructure projects and the economic impact thereof.”

According to the governor’s office, ADEM will implement the “Water and Sewer Infrastructure COVID-19 Recovery Fund Program” using criteria that weighs the water and sewer systems’ infrastructure needs and their financial needs.

The money is part of Alabama’s portion of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that Congress approved in 2021 for COVID-19 pandemic relief. During a special legislative session in January, the Alabama Legislature appropriated $225 million for high-needs water and sewer projects.

In a statement, Ivey spoke to the economic benefits the investments could have on the communities in which the water and sewer projects take place.

“Every Alabamian should have access to clean drinking water and safe, sanitary disposal of wastewater,” proclaimed Ivey. “We are extremely pleased that through this program we are able to make that a reality for many of our citizens who have lacked such basic services. Not only will these projects improve access to clean drinking water and sanitary sewers, they will also generate economic activity and create jobs by pumping millions of dollars into communities, many of which are rural and far from large industries and big employers. This is truly a win-win for the people of Alabama.”

The following is a breakdown of how the $225 million in grants will be utilized:

Earlier this week, ADEM announced that 398 of the state’s 1,061 public water and sewer systems have already applied for grants under the COVID-19 Recovery Fund Program.

ADEM director Lance LeFleur advised that the high number of grant applications speaks to the outstanding water and sewer infrastructure needs.

“This is an indication of the tremendous needs that exist among water and sewer systems,” said LeFleur. “It is also indicative of the vast water and sewer infrastructure needs across the country due to aging systems, increased demand because of population growth and the need to provide services to people who are currently unserved or underserved. Many of these systems haven’t upgraded their infrastructure in 40 to 50 years.”

Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL

When an industry proposes to locate to an area, nearby residents, businesses and community groups all have a vested interest in what that industry wants to do and how those plans will affect them and their environment. Providing them a platform to both learn more about the industry’s plans and to voice any concerns they might have is an essential feature of Alabama’s environmental regulatory process.

In its regulatory role, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management provides notification and a process through which citizens can comment whenever an industry applies for an air, water or land permit. That is required by law and ADEM’s operating rules to protect the state’s environment. When local interest dictates it, ADEM will hold a public hearing to maximize the public’s opportunity to comment.

ADEM believes that citizens have the right to be informed and to voice whatever concerns they have about the potential environment impacts a new or expanded operation might pose. ADEM takes those relevant comments into consideration, along with the thorough scientific review of the permit application by its staff, in making a determination on whether the applicant meets the requirements of state and federal environmental rules.

If a permit is issued, ADEM provides written responses to pertinent issues or questions raised in the comments.

But here is what’s important for the public to understand: ADEM is limited, by law, to its regulatory functions. ADEM will not, and cannot, determine whether a proposed plant or operation is a good use of that land. Such land-use decisions are rightly left to local elected and appointed officials – city councils, county commissions, zoning boards, etc.

Unfortunately, sometimes citizens believe regulatory agencies like ADEM have more authority than they do. They ask ADEM to deny a permit to an industry simply because they don’t want that industry in their community.

ADEM cannot do that. Instead, citizens should turn to their local elected officials.
Let’s consider two recent examples – some Gadsden area residents’ reactions to a proposed chicken byproduct rendering plant, and some Lee County residents’ opposition to a proposed quarry.

Residents opposed to those operations coming to their communities have organized, petitioned and protested. They have called on their City Council in Gadsden and their County Commission

in Lee County to say no to the plant and to stop the quarry. Citizens groups and businesses in Gadsden and officials in Lee County hired lawyers and filed lawsuits in their fight.

Citizens also testified at ADEM hearings and sent comments to the department urging ADEM to deny permits for the plant and quarry.

Those actions are all within their rights, and they are not unexpected.

However, there’s a distinction between what ADEM can do and what local officials can.
First and foremost, ADEM must follow the rules that govern its operation. There are strict state and federal guidelines prescribing the issuance of environmental permits – water discharges, air emissions, etc. If a permit applicant meets all those requirements and ADEM determines they provide the necessary environmental safeguards, as determined by data and science, ADEM is obligated to issue the permit.

Of course, any permit issued by ADEM will be protective of human health and the environment.

A citizen who believes the determination to grant the permit was made in error, or an applicant that believes it was wrongfully denied the permit, can challenge the determination in circuit court. That provides another important due-process safeguard.
Local elected officials have more discretion than does ADEM. They can assess whether an industry is, say, a good fit for an area, the economy or the overall well-being of the community. Plus, they have other tools at their disposal, such as zoning regulations and economic incentives, to tailor what type industries they want in an area.

Whether a quarry, a plant or other industrial facility is located in your community is in the hands of your local officials. They must answer directly to you, the voter. If you don’t like a decision the mayor, city council or county commission made, you can vote them out. Appointed board or authorities in many cases can be replaced by those elected officials if they make unpopular decisions.

The local route – calling on local officials and holding them accountable – is often the best path for citizens to get what they want, or block what they don’t want.

This is not to say, however, that ADEM doesn’t rigorously apply and enforce environmental regulations. Indeed, the department consistently ranks among the top states’ environmental regulatory agencies in the Southeast based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency metrics.

My assurance to the citizens of Alabama is that ADEM will strictly follow the law, data and science in making permit determinations.

And leave land-use decisions where they are best decided – at the local level.

Lance LeFleur is the director of Alabama Department of Environmental Management

For the second consecutive year, the lights at four Retirement Systems of Alabama buildings in downtown Montgomery will shine green and blue Thursday night in celebration of Earth Day, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management announced this week.

“Earth Day is always a big day for us here at ADEM,” stated ADEM director Lance LeFleur. “It’s an opportunity to highlight Alabama’s many natural wonders, as well as help educate and raise public awareness among young people and adults alike about how they can help protect and preserve the state’s environment.”

The four RSA buildings in Montgomery that will be lit in green and blue are the RSA Tower; RSA Headquarters; RSA Dexter Avenue Building; and the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa. (more…)

As the director of the state agency charged with safeguarding Alabama’s environment, I have great respect for and deep appreciation of our state’s wonderful natural resources and rich biodiversity of species and habitats, including many that are unique to Alabama. Protecting human health and those environmental treasures is precisely the reason the Alabama Department of Environmental Management exists.

That’s why it concerns me when critics take unjustified cheap shots at ADEM and the work it does to protect, preserve and enhance the environment. Some blame “lax enforcement” of environmental regulations in part for the loss of rare species, or attempt to paint ADEM as an underfunded agency under threat of federal takeover by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Those characterizations are clearly and demonstrably wrong. Let’s look at the facts. (more…)

The mission of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management is to ensure for all Alabamians “a safe, healthful and productive environment.” It’s a mission that ADEM and its nearly 600 employees take very seriously.

Ensuring a safe, healthful and productive environment means more than simply being the environmental cop, though that certainly is part of ADEM’s job. When the Alabama Legislature passed legislation in 1982 that led to the creation of ADEM, lawmakers’ intent was for the agency to promote public health and well-being.

The term “healthful” in ADEM’s mission statement speaks directly to that. ADEM’s work is to contribute to the health of Alabama’s environment and the health of all Alabamians. (more…)

Your drinking water is safe, so there’s no need to hoard cases of bottled water during the coronavirus crisis, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management wants the public to know.

“With so many things Alabamians have to worry about – their jobs, social distancing, the welfare of loved ones, gathering food and other necessities – the safety of their drinking water shouldn’t be one of them,” said Lance LeFleur, ADEM’s director. “The water they get from their tap, whether it’s from a large municipal system or a small, rural utility, is 100 percent safe due to the proven safety requirements they are required to follow and that ADEM enforces. People don’t need to fear the coronavirus as far as their water is concerned.”

LeFleur points out that the disinfectants the water systems add as standard operating procedures kill viruses, including COVID-19. Likewise, standard operations of municipal wastewater systems kill any viruses before the treated water is discharged into Alabama’s rivers and streams. ADEM, through its permitting and inspections, is making sure the drinking water systems as well as wastewater systems abide by the appropriate, stringent clean water standards, LeFleur said. (more…)

Those who wonder why anglers off Alabama catch more than 30 percent of the red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico despite having only 53 miles of coastline should have attended the Red Snapper Conference in Mobile last week.

The key to Alabama’s phenomenal red snapper fishing is the more than 1,000 square miles just off the coast that are designated artificial reef zones.

During the day-long conference, numerous scientists and fisheries biologists discussed reef fish management, habitat requirements, red snapper and triggerfish recruitment and growth. All those components are tied to Alabama’s reef zones.

Craig Newton, Alabama Marine Resources Division’s Artificial Reefs Program Coordinator, provided those in attendance a comprehensive look at the state’s artificial reefs program, from its unofficial start to today’s highly regulated deployment protocols.
(more…)