1) Nature Conservancy of Alabama Launches Now & Forever Alabama Campaign
2) Alabama Power Gives $1 Million to Nature Conservancy Campaign
3) Clean Air Proponents Launch "Clean Up Southern Company" Campaign
4) Acordis (formerly Courtaulds) One of Alabama's Largest Polluters Goes Bankrupt
5) ADEM Fines Anniston Foundry the Maximum
6) ESPN To Purchase Montgomery-owned B.A.S.S.
7) The Anniston Star PCB Debate
8) BEN Notes: Birmingham Botanical Gardens "Wonder of Wetlands", RiverVision Communications, Eco Book Club

1. Nature Conservancy of Alabama Launches Now & Forever Alabama Campaign - For 12 years, the Alabama Chapter of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has been achampion for Alabama's natural heritage. In little more than a decade, TNC today manages 16 preserves and has helped protect over 101,000 acres of Alabama's forest, swamps, marshes, seashores and mountains - home to more than a thousand rare plants and animals.

This week, TNC launched the largest private capital campaign for the environment in Alabama's history. The "Now & Forever Alabama" preliminary campaign goal is to raise $5.5 million to protect Alabama's most ecologically critical lands. Specifically $2.8 million is allotted to land protection, $1 million to conservation science and stewardship, $600,000 toward public and
community outreach and $750,000 for endowment. Every dollar raised will remain in Alabama.

To date, The Nature Conservancy has raised $4.2 million of the $5.5 million goal. Among the campaign's major supporters are Alabama Power Company, the Robert R. Meyer Foundation, The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, The Hugh Kaul Foundation, the George W. Barber, Jr. Foundation, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and the TNC board of directors. To learn how you can help put the "Now & Forever Alabama" campaign "over the top" - contact TNC at 205-251-1155 or visit their website at http://www.nature.org/alabama

2. Alabama Power Gives $1 Million to Nature Conservancy Campaign - Giving the "Now & Forever Alabama" campaign a significant boost was the announcement of a $1 million gift to the Alabama Chapter of The Nature Conservancy from
Alabama Power. The gift is considered one of the largest of its kind in Alabama history for a private land preservation effort.

"This effort will significantly strengthen the Conservancy's ability to preserve our state's natural areas. Alabama Power is proud to be a partner with the Conservancy." stated Elmer Harris, president and CEO of Alabama Power.

3. Clean Air Proponents Launch "Clean Up Southern Company" Campaign - Earlier this week at a Birmingham press conference, several local, state and national environmental groups launched the "Clean Up Southern Company" campaign. The campaign is challenging the new Chief Executive Officer of Southern Company, Allen Franklin, to commit Southern Company to a new course of action toward cleaner power production.

The groups state that Alabama Power, a subsidiary of the Southern Company, has contributed greatly to air pollution in Alabama. "It is time for Alabama Power to clean up their old dirty power plants. Hundreds of thousands of tons of pollution that contribute to health problems can be prevented from being released if Alabama Power's older plants would follow the same current standards other industries are required to follow," stated Kirsten Bryant, Executive Director of the Alabama Environmental Council.

Along with the press conference, the coalition ran a full page ad in the April 3rd Birmingham News announcing the campaign. The group also released a report, "Southern Company, a Giant Among Polluters" detailing the quantities of pollution emitted by power plants owned and operated by Southern Company's subsidiaries. The Southern Company is one of the nation's largest power companies, and according to the report, ranked No. 1 in 1999 on the federal Toxics Release Inventory for four pollutants, mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide.

In response to the campaign, Darya Bragg, an Alabama Power spokesperson, told the Birmingham News that "Alabama Power is working to clean up its emissions, devoting $440 million to emission control equipment and clean coal technology research. We are doing a number of things beyond what we are required to do," she said.

To learn more about the "Clean Up Southern Company" campaign visit their website at http://www.CleanUpSouthernCompany.com or call the Alabama Environmental Council at 205-322-3126.

4. Acordis (formerly Courtaulds) One of Alabama "s Largest Polluters Goes Bankrupt - Acordis (formerly Courtaulds), a rayon facility near Axis, Alabama was once described as the worst toxic air polluter in the state and one of the worst in the nation. This week the company went bankrupt after the market for rayon products dried up.

According to the Mobile Register, in 1996 the Axis rayon plant accounted for 80% of Mobile's reported toxic emissions, at least by the national reporting standards in place at the time. The plant was also one of the top 25 plants nationally for toxic emissions. Despite the closing of the plant, air experts believe Mobile's reputation for polluted air will improve but the actual improvement in air quality may not be nearly as significant.

"It really shouldn't have much of an effect at all on the criteria pollutants," said Ron Gore, the state's chief of air quality. The half dozen criteria pollutants are considered the most important under the federal Clean Air Act. He did point out that the distinctive rancid smell created in the production of rayon will be eliminated.

5. ADEM Fines Anniston Foundry the Maximum - The Alabama Department of Environmental Management has fined Union Foundry Co. in Anniston, Alabama $245,000 for allegedly releasing hazardous waste from what was supposed to be an enclosed treatment system. ADEM spokesperson Dixie Beatty said Union Foundry lacks a permit to release hazardous waste and is instead supposed to treat material at its plant.

The penalty was the biggest ADEM fine in 7 years, and just $5,000 short of the agency's $250,000 statutory maximum. ADEM has fined Union Foundry a total of $336,000 since June 2000 for violations involving hazardous waste and air, water and land pollution.

6. ESPN To Purchase Montgomery-owned B. A. S. S. - ESPN has purchased the Montgomery-based Bass Anglers Sportsman Society and plans to use its extensive network of media outlets and the worldwide interest in fishing to launch a new Internet outdoors network.

B. A. S. S. was founded in 1967 by Montgomery insurance salesman Ray Scott. In 1986, Scott sold B. A. S. S. to Helen Sevier and a Birmingham-based investment company. Today B. A. S. S. sanctions over 20,000 tournaments worldwide, and has interests in magazines, television and radio. B.A.S.S. has also been a strong advocate for several clean water initiatives.

7. The Anniston Star PCB Debate - The Anniston Star ran two opposing and very informative opinion pieces on the PCB issue. The opinion pieces were written by Robert G. Kaley II, director of Environmental Affairs for Solutia and John Peterson Myers of director of the W. Alton Jones Foundation. You can read the op-eds by visiting :
http://www.annistonstar.com/opinion/opinion_20010330_4006.html

8. BEN Notes: Birmingham Botanical Gardens "Wonder of Wetlands", RiverVision Communications, Eco Book Club

Birmingham Botanical Gardens "Wonder of Wetlands" - On May 5th, the Birmingham Botanical Gardens will be hosting the "Wonders of Wetlands" a day long event celebrating American Wetlands Month. Nationally known experts Dr. B.C. Wolverton, author of "How to Grow Air," Dr. David Whetstone, an authority on native plants, and Cahaba lily specialist Dr. Larry Davenport will probe some of the mysteries of wetlands. The deadline for registration is April 13th (includes lunch). The fee is $20. Registration forms are available online at http://www.alabamawildflower.org or contact Linda Sherk at 205-672-9779 for more information.

RiverVision Communications - In the wake of a fire that nearly wiped out one of the best visual records of Southern rivers, Alabama environmental groups have combined forces to create a non-profit communications groups that will support grassroots campaigns.

The new group RiverVision was first conceived of a year ago, after a fire destroyed the studios of photographer Beth Maynor Young. Beth had photographed more than 30 Southern rivers and donated many of her images to the efforts of grassroots conservationists. RiverVision will enlist photographers, writers and artists to support environmental grassroots campaigns. For more information on this exciting new group, contact Administrative Director Rachel Reinhart at 205-595-3377 or President of the Board of Directors Randy Haddock - 205-322-5326.

Eco Book Club - Shelly Green, a staff person at the Southern Environmental Center at Birmingham Southern is starting a Eco Book Club. There will be two organizational meetings in the cafe at Barnes & Noble at the Summit in Birmingham. The meetings will be held on April 12th at 7:00 p.m. and April 13th at 10:00 a.m. Please call Shelley at 205-980-1914 for more info.

Please share BEN with friends and fellow conservationists. If you have any questions or comments about this publication, contact Pat Byington, the author and publisher of BEN at 205-226-7739 or pkbyington@aol.com To receive back issues of BEN, please go to our website at: http://www.BamaNews.com