Whew, what a start to the new year! Since 2020 began, our team has been hard at work advocating for the river and folks like you that love her. At the beginning of the month I attended an ADEM hosted public meeting regarding “beneficial use byproducts” aka biosolids. I was there with county officials, colleagues, and concerned citizens to voice their concerns about the application of biosolids in their neck of the woods. AL.com pulled a quote from my remarks regarding the application of biosolids in the Coosa Watershed.
ADEM hosted another meeting regarding the NPDES permit renewal for the Alabama Power Gaston Steam Plant just a few days after that. Our Executive Director, Justinn, and I attended this public hearing and again were joined by folks from all around Alabama to voice their concerns about this permit. Read our Staff Riverkeeper’s statement here. While this hearing focused on the NPDES permit for the Gaston Steam Plant, the issues raised at this plant are the same kind of issues raised at other Steam Electric generating plants across Alabama. Watch this story to see our collogue, Casi Callaway (Executive Director with Mobile Baykeeper), advocating to move coal ash away from our rivers.
Our Staff Riverkeeper, Steven, delivering his remarks regarding the Alabama Gaston Steam Plant NPDES Permit.
The following Monday, our team made an appeal to the Talladega County Commissioners to carefully consider how the proposed Coosa River Express, a toll bridge proposed to go over lay lake, will impact the environment and the community. Watch these interviews of our Staff Riverkeeper and Executive Director discussing our views regarding this bridge. You can also take a look our Riverkeepers’s statement here and our Executive Director’s statement here. After the public meeting concluded, the commissioners held a meeting another meeting after where they approved Tim James, Inc.’s (TJI) application to own and operate a toll bridge over the Lay Lake. But before TJI can begin work on the toll bridge, they have to get the approval from the Shelby County Commissioners. To those of you who live in Shelby County and have concerns about the toll bridge- please voice your concerns to your commissioners.
Our Executive Director, Justinn, voicing her concerns regarding the proposed toll bridge to be constructed over Lay Lake.
