July 25, 2002
#182
1) Sen. Sessions Keeps New Wildlife Refuge Commitment
2) Gov. Siegelman Asks EPA To Drop PCB Consent Decree
3) Court Forces Cleanup of Over 2 Million Tires In
One Dump
4) Shoals Clean Energy Program Slow To Enlist Participants
5) BEN Notes: Governor's First Annual GIS Symposium,
Mobile River Basin Coalition Aquatic Workshop, AUFA Tree Roots
Seminar, "...Moments in Time" A Land Trust of Huntsville
Fundraiser
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1. Sen. Sessions Keeps New Wildlife Refuge Commitment
- Today, (July 25) Sen. Jeff Sessions stopped a move by the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to abandon its commitment to
establish a national wildlife refuge at Fort McClellan in Anniston,
Alabama.
According to a Sen. Sessions' news release, Sessions who has been
working for years to establish the proposed Mountain Longleaf
National Wildlife Refuge at Fort McClellan, recently learned the
USFWS had planned to let lapse the memorandum of understanding
(MOA) between the U.S. Army and USFWS to transfer Fort McClellan
land to the Service. Without the MOA and the land transfer, the
refuge proposal would be dead. In response to this problem, Sessions
phoned Interior Secretary Gale Norton's chief of staff Brian Waidman
to express concern about the rumored abandonment of the MOA. USFWS
deputy Director Marshall Jones later called Sessions to say that
the Service would renew the MOA with the Army.
"Creating this refuge is one of my highest priorities, and
I look forward to working with all of the parties - the citizens
of Calhoun County, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Army and
local and state officials - to preserve this land for future generations,"
stated Sessions in his news release.
The creation of the Mountain Longleaf Pine National Wildlife Refuge
would cover about 10,000 acres of undeveloped pine and mixed pine
hardwood forests. For more information about the new Mountain
Longleaf Pine National Wildlife Refuge, contact Pete Conroy, Jacksonville
State University's Environmental Policy and Information Center
at 256-782-5681 or pconroy@jsucc.jsu.edu
.
2. Gov. Siegelman Asks EPA To Drop PCB Consent
Decree - On July 24th, Governor Don Siegelman sent a letter to
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Christine
Todd Whitman asking the agency to withdraw the government's proposed
consent decree with Solutia and Pharmacia for PCB investigation
and cleanup in the Anniston area.
In the letter Siegelman said the federal government should allow
the judge in the ongoing PCB trial in circuit court in Gadsden
to rule on the plaintiff's demand for cleanup.
"As is too often the case, (the decree) protects the powerful
and connected corporation at the expense of the citizens in that
area," Siegelman stated in the letter which was provided
to the Anniston Star.
Elements in EPA's proposed decree include - preventing the Anniston
site from being listed on Superfund's National Priorities List
of the worst contaminated sites in the country; requiring the
companies to conduct a remediation investigation and feasibility
study (proposal of cleanup alternatives); and stripping the Alabama
Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) of its lead authority
in the facility and environmental cleanup in the Anniston area.
ADEM and the Attorney General officials have also opposed the
decree, opposing EPA's step to strip the state's role.
3. Court Forces Cleanup of Over 2 Million Tires
In One Dump - The owner of one of Alabama's largest tire dumps
is expected to begin clean-up of the site in Attalla, Alabama,
following a recent court order. Officials estimate between 3 million
to 5 million tires are in piles outside and inside warehouses.
According to the Gadsden Times, the court ordered Phillip Stargel,
owner of Four Star Tire Co. to remove the tires from the dump
site nearly two years ago. Recently, the court amended the 2000
order to require Stargel to remove 32 to 40 tons a month of tires
or the equivalent of 4000 passenger tires, and take it to an approved
disposal site. A physical inspection by the county health department
will also be required.
4. Shoals Clean Energy Program Slow To Enlist
Participants - Fewer than 75 Shoals residents have enrolled in
the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) Green Power Switch Program
since it became available in May.
The program, which began in April 2000, allows residents to help
TVA produce electricity with non-polluting sources such as solar
and wind power. Residential customers pay an additional $4 per
month on their utility bill to buy a 150 kilowatt hour of electricity
from the program. Customers can buy multiple blocks.
Region-wide more than 5,800 people within TVA's seven state service
area have purchased 10,074 blocks of green power. In addition
274 businesses have purchased 8,030 blocks. Currently, 46 of TVA's
158 power distributors are participating in the green power program.
Local Shoals utility representatives are surprised with the low
participation rate. Local activists believe the program will take
off once a planned solar panel in Florence is built, assuring
residents their participation in the program will go to non-polluting
energy sources.
To learn how to participate in TVA's Green Power Switch Program
visit their website at http://tva.gov/greenpowerswitch/index.htm
5. BEN Notes: Governor's First Annual GIS Symposium,
Mobile River Basin Coalition Aquatic Workshop, AUFA Tree Roots
Seminar, "...Moments in Time" A Land Trust of Huntsville
Fundraiser
Governor's First Annual GIS Symposium - The newly created Alabama
Geographical Information Council and the Geological Survey of
Alabama will be sponsoring Alabama's first Annual GIS Symposium,
August 13-15, at the Paul W. Bryant Conference Center in Tuscaloosa.
Titled "Mapping Alabama's Future" the conference will
convene Alabama's foremost experts and leaders in the GIS field.
To learn more about this exciting symposium visit the following
website at http://office.swma.com/agic/registration
Mobile River Basin Coalition Aquatic Workshop - The Mobile River
Basin Coalition is seeking input and information concerning activities
in the Mobile River Basin that are supportive of the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service Mobile River Basin Aquatic Ecosystem Recovery
Plan. The workshop is scheduled to be held in Montgomery, Alabama,
August 13-14. The event will include presentations by representatives
of industry, public officials, economic interests, the scientific
community, environmental groups, regulatory and resource agencies,
recreational users, government and local watershed groups.
Issues will focus on Status of the Basin, Successes/Outlook, and
Pollution Trading. For additional information contact Ralph Thompson
at 251-441-5181 ext 25 or Ralph_Thompson@fws.gov
AUFA Tree Roots Seminar - The Alabama Urban Forestry Association
(AUFA) will be holding a day-long tree health workshop titled
"Tree Roots - What do they tell us about the health of the
tree?" The workshop is being held at the Auburn School of
Forestry, August 15th, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The fee is $25 (includes
lunch and field trip). For more information call the AUFA office
at 877-548-0440 or email aufa@bsc.edu
"...Moments in Time" A Land Trust of Huntsville Fundraiser
- View timeless moments of life and land expressed through the
artwork of Jerry Brown and Pat Gardner at 801 Franklin (corner
of Franklin and St. Clair in Huntsville). The "...Moments
in Time" fundraiser will be held August 17th 4:00 to 6:00
p. m. The suggested donation of $20, will help benefit the Land
Trust of Huntsville and North Alabama. For more information about
this fundraiser, visit the Land Trust website at http://www.landtrust-hsv.org
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