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March 1, 2002 1) TVA Says Yes "Conditionally" To
RSA Proposal: Groups To Sue Brownfields Redevelopment. The event will be held March 21 & 22 at Birmingham Southern College. For additional details and registration information and forms visit http://www.region2020.org 1. TVA Says Yes "Conditionally" To RSA Proposal: Groups To Sue - Two of the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) three board members have conditionally endorsed a proposal submitted by the Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA) to use 650 acres of TVA property to build a Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail Complex. The endorsement of the RSA project is "conditioned" upon the successful completion of an environmental review. The action taken by the two TVA board members, TVA Chairman Glenn McCullough and Bill Baxter occurred immediately after the two board members met with U.S. Senators Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions and U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer in Washington D.C. The decision was made one day after the closing of a TVA's public comment period on the proposed. In response to TVA's actions, WildLaw on behalf of Wild Alabama has stated its intention to sue the agency for violating the National Environmental Policy Act. The group is also filing a complaint with TVA's Office of Inspector General, an independent auditor within the agency. Several local environmental groups have also expressed outrage over the process and the decision. To learn more about this issue, check out the following websites: 2. Monsanto Found Liable In PCB Case - According to the Birmingham News, after a month long trial, a jury found Monsanto Co. liable on all six counts brought by more than 3500 Anniston residents who accused the company of knowingly poisoning their community with PCB's, then hiding the danger to the community. The verdict also found Solutia Inc, the spinoff company that owns the Anniston plant responsible for the contamination. The Etowah County Circuit Court jury came to its conclusions after deliberating for about 5 1/2 hours over three days. The companies could pay hundreds of millions of dollars toward personal injury claims and cleanup of the site. Some reports have stated the judicial order could outstrip the recent $460 million federally mandated removal of polychlorinated biphenyls from a 40 mile stretch on the Hudson River by the General Electric Co. Earlier this week, Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor and district attorneys from Calhoun, St.Clair, Talladega and Shelby counties sought to intervene in the civil suit against the companies, saying they had a vital interest in any court-ordered cleanup. 3. Decade-long Study Claims One Million
Acres of New Forests In Alabama - Alabama's forest lands
grew by 1 million acres between 1990 and 2000 according to the
latest Forest Inventory Analysis conducted by the U.S. Forest
Service and the Alabama Forestry Commission. According to the study, urbanization and agriculture are the two primary causes of forestland loss within the state. In the past ten years nearly 500,000 acres of forests were converted to urban use, while 225,000 acres were converted to agriculture use. The losses were offset by the conversion of 1.7 million acres of other lands to forests. Most of the newly wooded land is in pine plantations, according to forest advocates. The report showed that between 1990 and 2000, planted stands of trees increased to 24 % of Alabama's forests, up 6%. The entire forest study can be downloaded online at http://www.forestry.state.al.us 4. New Legislation In The Alabama Statehouse - Six new environmental bills were introduced in the Alabama Legislature this past week. Here is a brief description of each bill. HB 433 - This bill prohibits for one year, ADEM from issuing a permit for a rock quarry. The companion bill in the Senate is SB 324 - Sponsored by Representatives Ford, Bridges, Vance and Bandy SB 453 - This bill relates to membership of the Alabama Environmental Management Commission. It expands the membership criteria of the National Water Well Association position to include either a geologist or hydrologist - Sponsored by Sen. Larry Means SB 457 - This bill creates a state motor vehicle emissions, inspection and maintenance program - Sponsored by Sen. E.B. McClain HB 474 - This bill would provide for the Alabama Mining Act of 2002 to regulate stone mining and to ensure acceptable impacts on the environment - Sponsored by Rep. Oliver Robinson SB 477 - Bill creates a state revolving loan fund program for brownfields redevelopment - Sponsored by Sen. Lowell Barron SB 478 - Bill enables businesses to take advantage of a tax abatement for brownfield redevelopment projects - Sponsored by Sen. Lowell Barron If you want to check out descriptions of environmental legislation introduced earlier in the session go to http://www.bamanews.com/archives.html and read BEN #166 and BEN #169. 5. Alabama Wildlife Federation's Land Stewardship Biologist Assistance - Want a biologist to visit your property and talk with you about wildlife management on your land? If your answer is "yes" the Alabama Wildlife Federation has got the program for you. Since 1999, AWF's Claude Jenkins has assisted over 260 landowners with wildlife advice. During that time he has also surveyed approximately 158,144 acres of forests and wildlife habitat in 66 counties across Alabama. AWF's Land Stewardship Biologist Assistance Program serves landowners with properties greater than 10 acres and is carried out in partnership with the Alabama Forestry Commission and Alabama TREASURE Forest Association. To learn more about this exciting program visit AWF's website at http://www.alawild.org 6. BEN Notes: LEAF Seeking New President, Huntsville Botanical Gardens Seeking CEO, Wildflower Society Hosts Bibb County Glades Discoverer, BEN Spring Calendar Corrections LEAF Seeking New President - The Legal Environmental Assistance Foundation (LEAF), a public interest environmental law firm that serves Georgia, Florida and Alabama, is seeking an experienced individual to succeed its founding president. Successful candidates will have 10+ years of experience in the environmental field, commitment to working with low income and communities of color; successful administrative and fundraising experience. A law degree with experience in environmental law is desirable. Applicants should send a resume, writing sample, references and salary requirements to: Richard Ottinger, LEAF, 1114 Thomasville Road, Suite E, Tallahassee, FL. 32303 or fax 850-224-1275. For more information about the position e-mail leaf@leaf-envirolaw.org Huntsville Botanical Gardens Seeking CEO - The Huntsville
Botanical Garden is accepting positions for the position of CEO.
The 112 acre Garden enjoys strong community support and has a
staff of 25. The Garden is visited by over 100,000 people a year.
The CEO will be responsible for the development and operations
of the Garden. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. Wildflower Society Hosts Bibb County Glades Discoverer - On Monday, March 4th, Jim Allison, the botanist who discovered Alabama's rare plants in the Bibb County Glades will be the featured speaker at the next meeting of the Blanche Dean Chapter of the Alabama Wildflower Society. The event will be held at 7:00 p.m. at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. For more information about the Alabama Wildflower Society, visit their website at http://www.alabamawildflower.org BEN Spring Calendar Corrections - Please take note of the following BEN Spring 2002 Calendar corrections. Auntie Litter's phone number is listed incorrectly. It is 205-879-3009. Mobile Bay Watch will be holding their Annual "Bay Bash" on May 5th not April 28th. Lee Yoekel"s, (the contact for the "Bay Area Earth Day") phone number is listed incorrectly. It should be 251-431-6409. The event is also incorrectly titled "BayFest". And please add the Alabama Wildflower Society's website to the list of organizations with weekly events The site is http://www.alabamawildflower.org/blanche-calendar.htm 7. Websites Featured in BEN #172 Region 2020 TVA WildLaw Alabama Forestry Commission Bama Environmental News Archives Alabama Wildlife Federation Huntsville Botanical Garden Alabama Wildflower Society ************************************************************** |