February 3, 1999
1) Alabamians Want Clean Water According to Poll
2) Siegelman Invites Buffett to Canoe the Cahaba
3) Study: Alabama Not Confronting Mercury Pollution
4) EPA Hammers Redstone Arsenal with Fine
5) Alabama Gas Tank Compliance is Slow
6) Camp McDowell Environmental Scholarship Fund
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1. Environmental Poll Obtained - Recently, BEN obtained
the results of an
internal poll conducted by an Alabama organization (the group
wanted to
remain anonymous). Here are the questions and the results of the
poll of
Alabama voters.
"Voters polled recently, when asked about the environmental
issue of clean
water and rivers said they would be for tougher penalties on polluters
and
would support candidates for public office who espoused such clean
water
issues."
48% of voters said they were much more likely to support this type politician.
31% were somewhat more likely to support this type politician
20% were less likely or said it made no difference.
67% of the voters polled said standing up for Alabama's water
rights were
somewhat or very important and 73% were less likely to support
candidates who
voted against clean air and water.
2) Siegelman Asks Buffett To Canoe the Cahaba - According
to the Montgomery
Advertiser's "Under the Dome" column, newly elected
Governor Don Siegelman
invited the famous singer and songwriter Jimmy Buffett to set
aside some time
to go fishing and to float down the Cahaba river in a canoe. The
governor
did say Buffett was interested in such a journey.
3) Group Ranks Alabama Low in Protecting Us From Mercury
- The United States
Public Interest Research Group (USPIRG) will be releasing today
a national
report on mercury pollution in our waters and in fish, entitled
"Fishing for
Trouble". According to the state by state report, Alabama
along with 13
other states, is not protecting sensitive populations from mercury
pollution.
The study's findings cite weak and inconsistent national and
state standards,
and inadequate monitoring and advisory systems as the cause for
Alabama's
inability to protect the public.
To learn more about mercury pollution in Alabama and nationally
and to obtain
a copy of "Fishing for Trouble" contact Robert Pregelman
at USPIRG"'s
Southern Field Office (404) 892-3573. To learn about USPIRG please
visit
their website at: http://www.pirg.org
4. Redstone Arsenal Fined by EPA - According to a Huntsville
Times report,
the U.S Environmental Protection Agency has issued an $80,000
fine against
Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville for allegedly violating provisions
of th Safe
Drinking Water Act. The fine is EPA's first penalty against a
federal
installation. The U.S. Army Aviation Command has agreed to spend
more than
$800,000 on environmental projects as a result of the violations.
5. Update: Gas Tank Compliance Slow In Alabama - As
reported in the BEN -
December 19, 1998 edition, new rules mandated by Congress 10 years
ago to
retrofit underground storage tanks went into effect December 1998.
These new
standards and tanks are aimed at protecting the public's groundwater
from
water contamination from leaky tanks. Anyone who has recently
travelled
across Alabama has probably recognized a good number of gas stations
that are
either closed or not offering gas because the service stations
are installing
the new environmentally safer tanks. According to Scott Hughes
ADEM's chief
of underground storage tank compliance, only 7,427 of the 18,833
active
storage tanks (as of January) in Alabama are in compliance. Considering
that
people have known about these rule changes for nearly 10 years,
one can
compare Alabama's rush to meet the new standards as the underground
storage
tank equivalent to the Y2K computer problem.
6. Camp McDowell's Environmental Scholarship - Last
year, I was honored by
the Alabama Environmental Council with the creation of a scholarship
fund in
my name at Camp McDowell, the Episcopal Church Camp for the Diocese
of
Alabama. The scholarship fund will enable disadvantaged children
to attend
Camp McDowell's Environmental Center. In 1998, more than 17,000
children
attended this top notch outdoor environmental education program
which is
located on the beautiful, natural and spiritual grounds of Camp
McDowell. As
a lifelong Alabama Episcopalian, Camp McDowell ignited my passion
for the
natural world as a child. This scholarship fund will help create
more
passionate environmentalists from all walks of life.
If you are interested in contributing to this tax-deductible
scholarship fund
-just send a check payable to Camp McDowell Environmental Center,
Rt. 1 Box
330, Nauvoo, Alabama 35578. Please make a notation on the check
that it is
for the Pat Byington Environmental Education Scholarship Fund.
For more
information about the fund and the program please call Rev. Mark
Johnston at
205-387-1806 or visit the Camp's website at: http://www.campmcdowell.com
-
many thanks, PB.
Please share BEN with friends and fellow conservationists.
If you have any questions about BEN, contact Pat Byington at
205-226-7739 or pkbyington@aol.com
