1. Environmental Legislation Introduced this Month - Several new environmental bills and resolutions have been introduced in the Alabama Legislature since BEN last reported on legislation nearly a month ago. Here is the latest legislative update.

SB 30 - Senator Penn - Granite and limestone surface mining operations, local approval required.

SB 97 - Senator Barron - Land Recycling (Brownfield) Finance Authority Loan Program administered by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.

SB 98 - Senator Little - Brownfield recovery tax abatement for voluntary cleanup.

SB 126 & HB 287 - Senator Figures/Rep Grantland - Clean Indoor Air Act

SB 164 & HB 144 - Sen. Means/Rep. Layson - Amend Environmental Management Commission membership. Replace certified well driller position with geologist or hydro-geologist and replace at large position with qualified agriculture or forestry representative.

SB 132 & HB 186 - Sen. Means/Rep. Ford - Scrap Tire Environmental Quality Act

SB 158 & HB 302 - Sen. Mitchem/Rep. Knight - Waste Reduction and Technology Transfer Foundation appropriation.

HB - 115 - Rep. Payne - Grease and animal byproduct disposal methods approved by appropriate agency, transportation requirement and penalties.

HB 176 - Rep. Perdue - Motor vehicle registration or license fee levied by state and county authorities to levy additional fee for mass transit.

HB 324 - Rep. Perdue - Reforms in the operation of Birmingham's public
transit system.

HB 368 - Rep. Clouse - Changes in the underground and aboveground storage tank trust fund.

HB 433 & SB 338 - Rep. Schmitz and Sen. Ted Little - ADEM publication of violators.

HB 434 - Rep. Carns - Additional public notice and participation concerning the enforcement of water pollution violations.

HB 478 - Changes to the Alabama Drycleaning Environmental Response Trust Fund.

SB 346 - Sen. Zeb Little - Family Farm Preservation Act

SB 373 - Sen. Ted Little - ADEM Director to be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.

HJR 80 - Rep. Brewbaker and Rep. Hurst - Resolution creating an Alabama Department of Environmental management Joint Legislative Committee.

To acquire more information about these pieces of legislation go to the Alabama Legislative website at
http://alisdb.legislature.state.al.us/acas/ACASLogin.asp

2. Tallapoosa River Named to National Endangered List - Last week, American Rivers, a national rivers protection advocacy organization, named the Tallapoosa River to its list of America's Most Endangered Rivers.

In the report, American Rivers identifies Alabama Power's R.L. Harris Dam as the chief cause for placing the river on the endangered list. Lack of flow passing through the dam is cited as the primary problem. Alabama Power states in the Birmingham News that it has been working with the Department of Conservation and others who are concerned about the fluctuating conditions of the rivers for about four years.

Stan Cook of the Department of Conservation and Brad McLane, director of the Alabama Rivers Alliance stated they are considering petitioning the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reopen the dam's license, if the next round of negotiations is not successful.

Despite the river's woes, according to the American Rivers report the Tallapoosa River has more than 120 species of fish and three endangered species of mussels. To read view the entire American Rivers report go to their website at: http://www.americanrivers.org/mostendangered/2003.htm

3. National Mercury Health Standard Strengthened - According to the Mobile Register, a senior U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) official says his agency now uses the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) much lower safe level for mercury in the human body.

Before this policy change, the FDA had maintained there was no danger in having four times more mercury in the human body than the safe level set by EPA. The reversal in policy will most likely affect mercury advisories issued by states for recreationally caught fish.

For the past two years, the Mobile Register has been reporting on the Mercury issue. You can read their whole award winning series at
http://www.al.com/specialreport/?mobileregister/mercuryinthewater.html

4. Mobile County's Household Hazardous Waste Day Results - Here are the results from the Alabama Coastal Foundation pertaining to the Mobile County Household Hazardous Waste Day that was held March 8th.

There were 691 participants who rid their households of 2005 gallons of oil, 448 batteries, 62,120 gallons of paint and other household hazardous waste. The Mobile County Commission made the event possible. It was sponsored by Keep Mobile Beautiful, Partners for Environmental Progress, The Forum, Clean Harbors, Alabama Power, Hand Arendall, Taylor Engineering, Barry Vittor and Associates, Ben Radcliff and Legacy.

5. BEN Notes: Legacy Scholarships Available, Mobile Bay National Estuary Program Grants, AAA Earth Week Car Battery Recycling, Earth Week Across Alabama

Legacy Scholarships Available - Legacy is proud to announce it is soliciting and accepting applications for its annual scholarship program. This coming year Legacy will award up to $30,000 worth of scholarships to undergraduate, graduate and doctoral applicants pursuing an environmentally related career.

Eligible students must be an Alabama resident enrolled in an Alabama university or four year college and be considered a junior by the Fall semester 2003. Applications must be received by May 2, 2003. For more information about this program, visit the legacy website at
http://www.legacyenved.org or call 334-270-5921.

Mobile Bay National Estuary Program Grants - The Mobile Bay NEP is accepting mini-grant proposals up to $3,000. The NEP is seeking projects that foster education, research, and resource management in the Mobile Bay and Delta. Through these grants the NEP hopes to foster a greater understanding of environmental issues concerning the Mobile estuary. The program has up to $20,000 available for the May selection. The deadline to apply is May 1, 2003. Staff is available by phone to give guidance on the application procedure. For more info call 251-431-6409 or log onto the NEP website at
http://www.mobilebaynep.com

AAA Earth Week Car Battery Recycling - The American Automobile Association (AAA) will be sponsoring an auto battery collection/recycling program across Alabama during Earth Week April 19-26. There will be 11 AAA-Alabama collection sites. Here are their locations. Auburn: Eagle Tire Service Center, Birmingham: Alignment by Ingram & Saab Tire & Automotive, Bessemer: Gamble's Automotive Service, Cullman: Cullman Dodge Chrysler, Gadsden: Devan Lowe Inc., Hoover: Don Drennen Buick Chrysler Jeep, Huntsville: LBJ's Automotive, Mobile: Bright Automotive, Montgomery: Premier Auto Center. For additional information visit http://www.aaa.com or call 205-978-7054.

Earth Week Across Alabama - Check out the following Earth Week events starting with the Alabama Environmental Council's Green Tie Affair.

April 19 - "7th Annual Green Tie Affair - Featuring Meteorite - Homewood Senior Citizen's Center - 7:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. - Alabama Environmental Council, 205-322-3126.

April 20 - "Earth Day Festival at UAB" University of Alabama-Birmingham - 1:00 p.m. to sundown - Alabama Environmental Council, 205-322-3126.

April 22 - "Auntie Litter Earth Day Parade" - Linn Park, Birmingham - 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. - Myrna Attaway, 205-879-3009.

April 22 - "Earth Day Celebration" - Shoals Environmental Alliance - TBA - Charlie Rose, 256-381-2826.

April 24 - "Earth Day at Samford" - Samford University - Betsy Dobbins, 205-726-2937.

April 24-25 - "3rd Annual Earth Day Safari at the Montgomery Zoo" - Montgomery Zoo - 334-240-4900.

April 26 - "EarthFest at University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa - Noon to until? - Ruthie Burk, Alabama Environmental Council 205-347-6476.

April 26 - "Back to Nature" - Burritt on the Mountain in Huntsville - 256-536-2882.

April 26 - "Environmental Health Fair" - 10:00 to 2:00 - Community Lead Education and Pollution Prevention (CLEPP) - 205-780-8077.

April 26 - "GreenFest at Birmingham -Southern College" - All day - Birmingham Southern Conservancy - 205-226-4934.

April 26 - "Jefferson County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day" - 8:00 a.m. to Noon - Hoover Met, Watermark Place in Bessemer, the Center Point Courthouse, Alabama State Fairgrounds - Mike Higginbotham, 205-325-8712.