January 4, 2002
#165
1) Mobile Register Identifies
Gulf Mercury Sources
2) Washington Post Profiles Monsanto PCB Problem
in Anniston
3) WildLaw and Wild Alabama Featured in "Timber
Harvesting" Magazine
4) Birmingham City Council Votes to Support Upper
Cahaba River Study
5) Accident Released 1 Million Gallons of Sewage
Into Black Warrior River
6) BEN Notes: EnviroLink Handbook Southeast Released,
Christmas Tree
Recycling, WaterQuest 2002, Landowner's Guide to Longleaf Pine
Forest, Guide to Sex, Frogs and Audiotape
7) Websites Featured In this issue (BEN #165)
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1. Mobile Register Identifies Gulf Mercury
Sources - For several months, the Mobile Register has been
investigating the issue of mercury in fish and the environment.
In November, hair tests on Gulf Coast residents sponsored by the
Register indicated that some Gulf fish consumers had mercury levels
in their bodies up to 11 times greater than the "safe"
level established by EPA. Only 14 of the 65 people tested in the
survey did not have elevated levels of mercury in their bodies.
In the December 23rd and 30th editions of the Sunday Mobile Register,
the newspaper identified coal fired power plants and oil and gas
rigs in the Gulf as major sources of mercury contamination in
the Gulf. In fact, according to the Register, many regulators
and Gulf fisheries experts told the Register that they were unaware
of peer-reviewed studies by the U.S. Minerals Management Service
on mercury contamination around oil and gas platforms. Data from
those studies strongly suggest that oil and gas rigs in the Gulf
amount to "islands" of mercury contamination which could
spread to fish and marine creatures.
To read the entire Mobile Register series of articles on mercury
in the Gulf,
visit their website at
http://www.al.com/specialreport/?mobileregister/mercuryinthewater.html
2. Washington Post Profiles Monsanto PCB Problem
in Anniston - For years local activists have been trying to
draw attention, address, and clean up the pollution problems,
(most notably PCB contamination) that have occurred in Anniston,
Alabama. Earlier this week (Dec. 31), their issue went "national"
when the Washington Post published a lengthy front page profile/expose'
of Anniston's pollution woes with an article titled "Monsanto
Hid Decades of Pollution - PCB's Drenched Ala. Town but No One
Was Ever Told."
The story, which was reprinted in the Birmingham News, can be
read online at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46648-2001Dec31.html
At the local level, Anniston Star's environmental correspondent
Elizabeth Bluemink, just completed a five part series on the Choccolocco
Creek watershed, the local river system most impacted by the PCB
contamination.
Check out her series at
http://www.annistonstar.com/news/2001/as-calhoun-1226-ebluemink-1l26m5146.htm
or http://www.annistonstar.com
and click on the "Life in Choccolocco" feature.
3. WildLaw and Wild Alabama Featured in "Timber Harvesting"
Magazine - Here is another fascinating story. Longtime forest
protection advocacy organizations WildLaw and Wild Alabama were
featured in the November/December 2001 edition of Timber Harvesting
magazine praising "cut-to-length forestry.
Attending an "Environmentally Friendly Logging Expo"
in Louisiana, more than 200 foresters, loggers and environmental
activists attended this first of its kind two day event. The loggers
and the activists shared information and agreed that there were
areas of common ground.
To read more about this extraordinary event visit the Timber Harvesting
magazine's website at http://www.timberharvesting.com and click
on "Industry Features". Nov./Dec. 2001 stories will
appear. Click on the story titled "Green Example."
4. Birmingham City Council Votes to Support Upper Cahaba River
Study - Last week, the Birmingham City Council unanimously
approved a $40,000 payment to participate in a regional study
of the Cahaba River watershed.
The Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham will be
leading efforts to design and set environmental and development
guidelines in the watershed. The study will be financed by 22
governments, including Jefferson and Shelby counties, Hoover,
Leeds, Vestavia Hills, and Trussville.
5. Accident Released 1 Million Gallons of Sewage Into Black
Warrior River - According to the Tuscaloosa News, more than
one million gallons of raw sewage was accidentally discharged
from Tuscaloosa's wastewater system in 2001, with the bulk of
it going into the Black Warrior River.
In 2001, about 1,166,035 gallons of untreated sewage were released
from the city's sewers. Most of the overflow was spilled on September
5th when a 24-inch line near Jack Warner Parkway broke and released
approximately 1,100,000 gallons of sewage into the river. No environmental
testing was done at the time of the spill, so the environmental
impact on the river may never be known. The city is taking steps
to replace the line, having spent $7 million replacing it.
6. BEN Notes:
EnviroLink Handbook Southeast Released - Perhaps one
of the most comprehensive publications on "what's happening"
environmentally in the Southeast, EnviroLink Handbook Southeast,
a colorful, information packed magazine is arriving on newsstands
this week. If you are interested in ordering a copy of this useful
publication, contact EnviroLink at 423-1329 ext. 1286 or order
the $12 ($10 for non-profits) book at EnviroLink, 6131 Airways
Boulevard, Chattanooga, TN. 37421-9860.
Christmas Tree Recycling - For the 13th consecutive year,
Bruno's, Alabama Power, BFI, Keep Mobile Beautiful, Keep Birmingham
Beautiful, the Montgomery Clean City Commission and B. A. S. S.
are recycling Christmas trees at area Bruno's, Food World and
Food Fair grocery stores. Over 500,000 trees have been kept out
of area landfills over the life of this wonderful community program.
Instead of taking up precious landfill space, trees are reused
for landscaping mulch or to enhance fish habitats in lakes.
This year's program will end on January 11th. You can drop off
your tree at one of the 28 participating Bruno's, Food World and
Food Fair stores in Birmingham, Montgomery and Mobile. For more
information call Katrice Allen, Bruno's Supermarkets, at 205-912-4664.
WaterQuest 2002 - The Business Council of Alabama and the
Alabama Department
of Environmental Management will be holding WaterQuest & Nonpoint
Source Watershed Forum 2002, January 23-24 at the Birmingham Marriott.
Everything you ever wanted to know about water quality and the
latest regulatory trends will be discussed at this three day conference.
For more information about the conference and to access a registration
form go to
http://www.bcatoday.org
and click on BCA Events.
Landowner's Guide to Longleaf Pine Forest - The Nature
Conservancy (TNC) of Alabama's East Gulf Coastal Ecoregion Planning
team has created a landowner's guide to increase interest and
knowledge in longleaf pine ecosystems. Members of the Alabama
based Longleaf Alliance provided their expertise to the authors
of this 37 page color document. The guide is free to Conservancy
members, but TNC is requesting $2.00 to cover postage costs. To
receive a copy, mail $2.00 to The Nature Conservancy, 2821- C
2nd Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35233 with your name and
address. Mark your check "longleaf booklet."
If you have any questions contact TNC
at 205-251-1155.
Guide to Sex, Frogs and Audiotape - Here is a "Must
See" presentation. The Birmingham Audubon Society will be
having Mark Bailey as their featured speaker, Thursday, January
17th, 7:00 pm. at the Birmingham Zoo. His presentation titled
- "Alabama's Amazing Amphibians: Sex, Frogs and Audiotape"
should be a draw.
7. Websites Featured in BEN #165 -
http://www.al.com/specialreport/?mobileregister/mercuryinthewater.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46648-2001Dec31.html
http://www.annistonstar.com/news/2001/as-calhoun-1226-ebluemink-1l26m5146.htm
http://www.annistonstar.com
http://www.timberharvesting.com
http://www.bcatoday.org
http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/news/stories/14572newsstorypage.html
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Pat Byington, the author and publisher of BEN at 205-226-7739
or pkbyington@aol.com.