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EcoFest 5 BEN Special

A generous annonymous gift has been given by a BEN reader to the Southern Environmental Center (SEC) to help provide a discount to other BEN readers interested in attending EcoFest 5. The gift enables the SEC to offer 12 tickets to EcoFest at the discounted rate of $30 instead of the $50 donation. If you would like to take advantage of this discount contact Michelle Hampton at mhampton@bsc.edu or 205-226-7740. When you call or email be sure to tell her you are a BEN reader. The discount will be given on a first come, first serve basis.

We look forward to seeing you, October 9th, 6-9 p.m. at WorkPlay in Birmingham. Remember, the SEC is one of the Bama Environmental News' (BEN) chosen charities.

1. Florida Pulls Out of Tri-State Water Talks - In a stunning move earlier this month, the state of Florida withdrew from the tri-state water talks.

The decade long talks were designed to control how much water Georgia takes from two basins that flow through Alabama and Florida - the Alabama-Coosa-Talapoosa river basin (ACT) and the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river basin (ACF).

The three states' governors had approved a tentative water sharing agreement in July. Florida identified metro Atlanta's growing need for water and the impact it will have on the state's oyster-rich Apalachicola Bay, as its primary reason for stepping away from the talks. Presently, 90% of Florida's oysters and 10% of the nation's supplies of oysters come from Apalachicola Bay. With the passage of the agreement's latest deadline, it will now be up to the courts to solve the water-sharing dispute.

In response to Florida's actions, Alabama's Office of Water Resources is seeking modifications to the agreement, that may provide common ground for all parties involved.

2. State Enviro Programs and ADEM Face Deep Cuts - The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) and several environmentally related state agencies are expecting deep cuts in their state appropriations, resulting from the defeat of Amendment One last week.

According to Governor Bob Riley's recommended FY 2004 budget proposal, ADEM's general fund appropriation will decrease from $5.7 million in FY 2003 to $4.4 million in FY 2004, a 23% cut. The decrease will severely impact ADEM's solid waste program because it does not receive federal funding or associated grant monies.

Other cuts to environmentally related agencies include: Soil and Conservation $2.5 million, Agriculture and Industries $2.2 million, Alabama Forestry Commission $1.9 million, and the Geological Survey $414,032.

Funding for several environmental programs have been recommended for 100% cuts. They include - Waste Reduction and Technology Transfer Foundation (WRATT) and People Against a Littered State.

3. Historic Fort McClellan Land Transfer and Cleanup Plan Inked - Earlier this week, a historic signing ceremony commemorating the early transfer of the final remaining 4,692 acres of former Fort McClellan property from the Army to the Anniston -Calhoun County Development Joint Powers Authority (JPA) was held in Anniston, Alabama.

The land transfer comes with a $48.5 million federal grant to clean up the property, which the Army left littered with artillery shells, mortars, rockets, grenades and landfills containing industrial, medical and household waste when it moved out in the late 1990's. The agreement is the Army's largest early transfer and the first to transfer property with unexploded ordinance. McClellan received the largest funding of any closed base in the nation.

The early transfer of land and cleanup concludes a busy summer at Fort McClellan, where Alabama's newest National Wildlife Refuge - "Mountain Longleaf" was dedicated. To learn more about the JPA, early transfer and cleanup at McClellan call the Jacksonville State University Environmental Policy and Information Center at 256-782-5681 or JPA at 256-236-2011.

4. Judges Give Final Approval To Anniston PCB Deal - According to the Associated Press, federal and state judges have given final approval to an agreement worth as much as $800 million to settle claims against Solutia Inc. and Monsanto Co. by more than 20,000 landowners over decades of PCBs contamination.

The settlement ended a state court trial that already had lasted 20 months and yielded more than $100 million in verdicts against the companies, with hundreds of claims still to be heard. The settlement also prevented a federal court trial.

5. BEN Notes - Birmingham Audubon Society Mini-Grant Program, "Plant a Tree" Grants Available, Adopt a Craig Day, WRATT Vehicle Testing Days, Friends of Shades Creek Fall Celebration, CRS Cajun Feast, Bartram Trail Conference

Birmingham Audubon Society Mini-Grant Program - The Birmingham Audubon Society (BAS) is offering mini-grants up to $250 to support conservation education in Jefferson and Shelby counties. Monies may be used for field trips to Ruffner Mountain, the Southern Environmental Center, Birmingham Zoo, the Birmingham Botanical Gardens; to study wildlife, to bring a speaker on environmental education to a classroom or create an outdoor classroom habitat area. To be considered for funding, organizations must be nonprofit and tax exempt.

The grant application can be found at http://www.birminghamaudubon.org under Grants and Scholarships. The deadline for a BAS mini-grant is October 1, 2003.

Alabama Power Foundation/AUFA "Plant a Tree" Grants - The Alabama Power Foundation and the Alabama Urban Forestry Association are pleased to announce the "Plant a Tree in Alabama" grant program. As part of the 2003 Urban and Community Tree Assistance Program, the foundation will supply funds for tree planting in cities, towns and communities in the state. Last year, more than 75 groups received tree planting grants. For information and guidelines contact the Alabama Power Foundation at 205-257-2508.

Adopt a Craig Day - The Southeastern Climbing Coalition and the City of Hoover is sponsoring the yearly "Adopt a Craig Day" on Saturday, September 20 at the Moss Rock Preserve in Hoover. The event will begin at 9:00 a.m. at the boulderfield. Volunteers will be assisting in trail maintenance and erosion control. If you need directions or would like more information about this project, contact Ken Wills, President of Friends of Moss Rock Preserve, at memontei@aol.com or 823-1641.

WRATT Vehicle Testing Days - The WRATT Foundation will be conducting the following free vehicle emissions testing events in October:

Oct. 3rd, 10:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. - Vulcan Materials Co. 1200 Urban Center Pkwy (off Liberty Parkway in Birmingham).
Oct. 18th, Noon to 4:00 p.m. - Riverchase Galleria in the old Macy's ground parking lot.

Friends of Shades Creek Fall Celebration - The Friends of Shades Creek will be holding a "Fall Celebration" Sunday, October 5th 1:45 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Samford University. There will be art, presentations, displays and refreshments. To RSVP for this event, contact Michelle Blackwood at 205-879-6866 or Henry Hughes at 205-414-0064.

13th Annual Cahaba Cajun Feast - The Cahaba River Society (CRS) will be holding their 13th Annual Cahaba Cajun Feast, October 3rd, 7:00 at WorkPlay in Birmingham. Tickets for this event are $75. There will be good food and a live auction. For more information about this event contact CRS at 205-32-CLEAN.

Bartram Trail Conference - Come celebrate Alabama's Natural History at the 2003 Biennial Bartram Trail Conference, to be held in Montgomery, Alabama on October 24-26. There will be an evening reception on Friday evening followed by a day-long symposium on the Bartrams and their times. On Sunday there will be a canoe trip down the Tallapoosa River to Fort Toulouse. For details about this exciting event, visit the Bartram Trail website at http://www.bartramtrail.org/pages/03conf1.html.