Bama Environmental News

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Support one of BEN's Groups! Southern Environmental Center at Birmingham Southern College http://www.bsc.edu/sec or go to http://www.bamanews.com/donation.html

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1. Jury Awards $20.7 Million In Air Pollution Lawsuit - According to the Associated Press (AP), a federal jury in Opelika awarded the city of Columbus, Georgia and other plaintiffs $20.7 million in an air pollution lawsuit filed against a Phenix City, Alabama carbon black plant.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs contend air emissions from the Continental Carbon plant damaged residential and business property in the Columbus area. AP reported that according to trial testimony, management at the plant requested a number of pollution control improvements at the plant, which were rejected by the parent company, China Synthetic Rubber Corp. The jury awarded last week $1.9 million in compensatory damages, $1.29 million in attorney's fees and expenses and $17.5 million in punitive damages.

2. Commission Environmental Justice Position Applauded - Last week, the Alabama Environmental Management Commission* passed a resolution supporting the creation of an environmental ombudsman position at the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. The stance taken by the Commission has been praised by the following editorial boards: Montgomery Advertiser, Birmingham News, Huntsville Times, Anniston Star, Talledega Daily Home, and the Tuscaloosa News. Here are some excerpts from a couple of their editorials.

"The decision by the Alabama Environmental Management Commission to establish a new position for the addressing of environmental justice is an overdue step that should be applauded." - Montgomery Advertiser Editorial August 26, 2004

"The value of good health is the same whether we live in a $5 million castle or a $5,000 shack. The desire to protect our children doesn't rise or fall based on our political clout. People of color don't have less at stake in their communities than their white counterparts. So it shouldn't be accepted as OK - or just the natural order of things - that poor, minority neighborhoods disproportionately suffer the effects of pollution." Birmingham News Editorial August 27, 2004

The ADEM Reform Coalition also released last week a study concerning landfills and environmental justice. Here is the link to that report - http://www.leaflaw.org/press/ppt/Landfills.htm.

3. IPSCO Turns Scrap Tires Into Education Dollars - IPSCO, a company located in Mobile County, has announced that it will contribute more than $100,000 in supportive education funding in the North Mobile as a result of a program that will recycle up to 1 million scrap tires per year.

The contribution comes from a direct result of savings generated by the company by substituting scrap tires for carbon in the steel manufacturing process. IPSCO will use a significant portion of the money it is saving from this new and improved steel making process to underwrite the education program. The recycling of the estimated 1 million scrap tires by IPSCO will put a major dent into the more than 4 million scrap tire Alabamians generate per year.

4. BEN Notes: Legacy Seeking Education Manager, 17th Annual Coastal Cleanup, Estuary Live!! Weeks Bay, Alabama Rivers Alliance Directory, CRS lillypalooza 2004, Urban Forestry Awards, Solar Home Tour, Homegrown Alabama Vegetables Available

Legacy Seeking Education Manager - Legacy has an opening in its Montgomery office for Education Manager. This position is responsible for coordinating all of Legacy's K-12 educational programs; organizing and conducting teacher training workshops and school environmental competitions; reviewing and editing of educational materials and serving as a liaison to volunteer committees. A Bachelor's degree in Education or related field is required. Classroom teaching experience preferred.

Deadline for Applications: Send resume, cover letter and salary requirements to arrive no later than September 15 to: Legacy, P.O. Box 3813, Montgomery, Alabama 36109 or fax 334-270-5527. No phone calls please.

17th Annual Coastal Cleanup - Want to be part of a movement that last year helped remove more than 82,000 pounds of litter from 303 miles of Alabama's shorelines? Then signup for the 17th Annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup, September 18th from 8 a.m. to Noon at 20 cleanup sites across 3 counties. To learn more about how to participate, go to http://www.alabamacoastalcleanup.com.

Estuary Live!! Weeks Bay - Join the Weeks Bay Esturine Research and the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program live online for "Mud?! Who KneW?" A free online field trip scheduled for September 22nd at 9:00 a.m. To participate just check out these websites: http://www.estuaries.gov and http://www.estuarylive.org.

Alabama Rivers Alliance Directory - The Alabama Rivers Alliance grassroots directory is now updated and available. Please contact Lauren Fine at lfine@alabamarivers.org for a copy.

CRS lillypalooza 2004 - Make sure to mark your calendars and attend the Cahaba River Society's Lilypalooza on September 17th, 6-10pm at the McWane Center in Birmingham. Tickets are $75 - and there will be great food, music and fun for all. For additional details go to : http://www.cahabariversociety.org/Lilypalooza2.htm.

Urban Forestry Awards - Do you know someone who should be recognized for outstanding achievements in urban forestry? The Alabama Urban Forestry Association is seeking awards nominations for its Annual convention. Check out the nomination form at http://www.aufa.com or call 205-226-7760 if you any questions.

Solar Home Tour - Want to go on a Solar Home Tour? Interested - you then should mark your calendar for October 2nd, 9:00 a.m. in rural Blount County, Alabama. For directions and additional info, contact Stephen at 205-429-4120/greenworks@juno.com (be sure to put "home tour" in the subject line). For additional tour sites go to http://www.ases.org.

HomeGrown Alabama Vegetables Available - Alabama has a growing organic farmers and homegrown vegetable market. Here are a couple of groups that can sell their vegetables directly to you.