A coalition of statewide environmental groups plans to create a scorecard to rate the Alabama Department of Environmental Management's progress on addressing air and water pollution and the overall enforcement of environmental laws.
Representatives of the coalition -- which includes groups such as Conservation Alabama, the Alabama Rivers Alliance, Mobile Baykeeper and the...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued administrative orders against eight entities in Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee between January and April for violations of the Clean Water Act.
"By taking these enforcement actions, we are sending a strong message about the importance of protecting rivers, lakes and streams across the Southeast,” said Stan Meiburg, EPA Region 4 acting regional administrator. “To protect our region’s waters, these regulated entities must comply with the Clean Water Act and promptly take the steps needed to resolve the violations noted in our inspections.”
Seven entities were cited for...
The Business Alliance for Responsible Development is an oxymoron. The word "responsible" has to be questioned. To whom or for what is BARD responsible?
If one reads the material on the BARD website, it comes across loud and clear that the overriding goal of BARD is growth at any cost. In particular. the goal appears almost singularly to be to keep development costs down, even if the cost of environmental degradation and infrastructure damage is passed onto citizens and their communities.
If BARD were for responsible growth, it would be for a requirement for "maximum extent practicable" measures for stormwater control. Instead of employing lawyers to gut...
A Montgomery County Circuit Court has ruled the Alabama Department of Environmental Management inadequately punished a Tuscaloosa developer for violating erosion control rules.
The ruling, issued Wednesday, increases the penalty against SDW Inc. for its Williamsburg subdivision, a development off Buttermilk Road, from $20,000 to $120,500, based on the minimum $100-per-day fine.
“Although ADEM is not required to impose the penalties recommended by the hearing officer, any finding of violation ... must be assessed at...
By Ben Raines
Published January 16, 2010, Mobile Press-Register
Charging that the Alabama Department of Environmental Management has failed to enforce key sections of the federal Clean Water Act, a coalition of environmental groups has asked the federal government to take away Alabama's regulatory authority.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would take over, should ADEM lose its authority to regulate water permits under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.
"We have received notice of the petition and we will work closely with EPA to address all of the allegations that are contained in the petition. We take very...
