August 13, 2002
#184
1) New Poll Looks at Agriculture vs. Environmental
Issue
2) AEA Poll Looks At Chemical Weapons Incineration
3) Chicken Litter Disposal Becomes Issue In North
Alabama
4) Rep. Bachus Secures LWCF Grant For Vestavia Hills
5) BEN Notes : Forest Service to Hold Public Meetings,
Emissions Testing in
Birmingham, Okaaba Productions Launches New Film On Village Creek,
"...Moments in Time" A Land Trust of Huntsville Fundraiser
************************************************
Website Update
The Bama Environmental News (BEN) website has recently been updated.
Thirty-five new links have been added to the site. Check it out
at
http://www.BamaNews.com
***************************************************
1. New Poll Looks at Agriculture vs. Environmental
Issue - Earlier this
month, a new poll was released by the Butler/Cunningham Endowment
in
Agriculture and the Environment at Auburn University. The purpose
of the survey was to appraise the awareness, opinions and attitudes
held by Alabama residents regarding agriculture, the environment,
and the quality of rural life in Alabama.
The poll surveyed 988 Alabama residents and has a +/- 4-5% margin
of error.
Here are some of the findings concerning the environment.
Willingness to Pay More for Food to Protect the Environment
Don't Know - 4.5% , No More - 29.4% , 1 to 10% - 38.7% ,
10 -25% - 22.4%, More Than 25% - 4.9%
Primary Cause of Pollution in Alabama
Industry - 49.9% , Towns and Cities -19.7% , Power Plants - 17.2%,
Agriculture - 4.0% , Outdoor Recreation - 2.3% , Don't Know -
6.8%
Alabama's Environmental Quality in Comparison to Other States
About the Same - 50.5% , Worse - 18.2% , Better - 14.7% ,
Much Worse 2.3% , Much Better - 3.1% , Don't Know - 11.1%
How Well is Alabama Protecting the Environment in the State
Fairly - 43.3% , Well - 23.1% , Poorly14.9% , Very Well - 6.7%
,
Very Poorly - 4.8% , Don't Know - 7.3%
Support a Tax Increase to Protect the Environment
Support - 53.1% , Oppose -22.1% , Strongly Support - 15.6%,
Strongly Oppose - 5.9% , Don't Know - 3.3%
Support for Zoning of Rural Land
Oppose - 39.7% , Support - 32.9% , Strongly Oppose - 9.8% ,
Strongly Support - 4.3%, Don't Know - 13.3%
Significance of Pollution from Cattle and Swine Feedlots in Alabama
Significant - 32.9%, Insignificant - 22.4% , Slightly Significant
- 18.0% , Very Significant - 9.6% , Don't Know - 17.0%
The poll was conducted by the Center for Governmental Services.
To view the entire survey visit http://www.aces.edu
2. AEA Poll Looks At Chemical Weapons Incineration
- According to a recent Anniston Star news report, in a poll released
by the Alabama Education Association (AEA), about 40% of the respondents
to the poll believe the chemical weapons incinerator should not
start up until county schools are protected.
More than half of the respondents said no effective emergency
plan is in
place in Calhoun County, while about three-quarters supported
recent legal efforts by Governor Don Siegelman to secure federal
funding for emergency measures.
The AEA poll was conducted by the Capital Survey Center between
July 30 and August 1st. It reflected the opinion of 260 voters
in Calhoun County with a margin of error of plus or minus 6.8%.
3. Chicken Litter Disposal Becomes Issue In North
Alabama - Farmers who own chicken farms in counties north of Jefferson
County are seeking solutions to the state's prohibition of spreading
chicken litter on farms.
According to the Decatur Daily, between November 15 to February
15, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM)
is prohibiting the spreading of chicken litter in North Alabama
because the soil in many agricultural fields are saturated with
more nutrients - namely phosphorus - than the grass and plant
matter can take. As a result, winter rains can cause excess nutrients
to leach into area watersheds, polluting for example, Flint and
Cotaco creeks in Morgan County. This in turn, promotes growth
in plants that deplete the streams of valuable oxygen.
Presently, Cotaco Creek has more than 400 poultry house sites
along its three county watershed. Flint Creek has 215 houses.
The Tennessee Valley Resource Conservation and Development Council
is seeking solutions to the litter problem. Some of the solutions
include; hauling by truck the chicken litter to South Alabama
farms or seeking federal funds in an effort to create a regional
factory that turns the litter into a marketable fertilizer.
4. Rep. Bachus Secures LWCF Grant For Vestavia
Hills - The City of Vestavia Hills will be receiving a $100,000
Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant for a new park.
The grant, which was supported by U.S. Rep. Spencer Bachus, will
help
purchase 12 acres of land for the Little Shades Creek Park. The
park will be located off Rocky Ridge Road and eventually include
35 acres. The new park will also include walking trails, an amphitheater
and picnic areas.
5. BEN Notes : Forest Service to Hold Public Meetings,
Emissions Testing in Birmingham, Okaaba Productions Launches New
Film On Village Creek, "...Moments in Time" A Land Trust
of Huntsville Fundraiser
Forest Service to Hold Public Meetings - The U.S. Forest Service
in Alabama will be holding public meetings throughout the state
to present the latest version of the Forest Plan. The public will
have an opportunity to ask questions and discuss the information
with the Planning Team in an informal setting. The Forest Service
will be looking for major flaws or omissions within the Plan.
Each public meeting will begin with an open house at 4:00 to 6:00.
Presentations by the Forest Service and discussions will begin
at 6:00. Here are the scheduled meetings.
August 20 - Conecuh National Forest, Farm Agency Building,
Highway 29, Andalusia, AL.
August 22 - Talladega and Shoal Creek Districts, Oxford Civic
Center, Oxford. AL.
August 26 - Tuskegee National Forest, Tuskegee Ranger Office,
Tuskegee, AL.
August 27 - Oakmulgee District, Brent First Baptist Church, Brent
, AL.
August 29 - Bankhead national Forest, Moulton Recreation Center,
Moulton, AL.
Questions about the meetings? Contact Mary Gaines 334-241-8173,
Rick Morgan 334-241-8166 - or visit the Forest Service in Alabama
website at http://www.southernregion.fs.fed.us/alabama
Emissions Testing in Birmingham - Alabama Partners for Clean Air
have
scheduled auto emissions testing events throughout Jefferson and
Shelby
counties. Mark your calendar about the following events.
August 17 - 10:00 am to 2:00 pm - Testing at the McDonalds in
Midfield
August 20 - 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm - Testing at the Galleria in Hoover
Sept. 10 - 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm - Testing at the Galleria in Hoover
Sept. 12 - 11:00 am at the University of Alabama Birmingham
For additional information call Alabama Partners for Clean Air
at
205-251-8139 or visit their website at http://www.alabamacleanair.com
Okaaba Productions Launches New Film On Village Creek - Ever wanted
to support a new company that will produce creative and exciting
environmental films about Alabama? Here is your chance.
At a reception on Friday, August 16th, 7:00 to 9:00 at the Old
Federal
Reserve Building (on the corner of 5th Ave. North and 18th Street
in downtown Birmingham) - Okaaba Productions will be launching
a new
non-profit film company dedicated to producing documentaries on
environmental topics in Alabama.
The August 16th reception will also help raise funds to support
the
completion of "44 Miles Down: A Biography of Village Creek,"
a film currently in production. Live entertainment, food and wine
will be available. Tickets are $15. For more information about
the event or to RSVP, call 205-533-3348 or
205-266-6712.
"...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