Legislation - Policy

Alabama: Birmingham opposes coal mine near drinking water source

Dennis Pillion | dpillion@al.com A drinking water intake facility for the Birmingham Water Works Board along the Black Warrior River’s Mulberry Fork is about five miles from the site of a proposed coal mine in Walker County, Ala. This facility provides drinking water for 200,000 people.

The Birmingham City Council and Birmingham Water Works Board both spoke out this week against a proposed coal mine on the Black Warrior River, about five miles away from a drinking water intake that provides water for about 200,000 people.

The Water Works said in a news release that it has filed comments this week with the Alabama Surface Mining Commission opposing the renewal of a permit for Mays Mining to operate a surface coal mine (Mays Mine No. 5), on the banks of the Mulberry Fork of the Black Warrior River, upstream of the Water Works’ Mulberry Intake.

“Birmingham Water Works has been a long-standing opponent of coal mining near our water sources as it opens the possibility of contamination into the drinking water for many families we serve,” the utility said in a news release. “The opposition with this particular mine dates back almost a decade.”

The Water Works also noted that a Jefferson County judge ordered the permit remanded back to the Surface Mining Commission twice due to concerns over contamination left behind from a plywood facility that used to operate on the proposed mine site. According to court documents, a plywood […]

More about Alabama water:

ADEM brought into Fruithurst cancer investigation – Alabama

America’s Amazon named among most endangered USA river systems

Coal Ash Dumps Are Contaminating Groundwater in 22 States

Summary
Article Name
Alabama: Birmingham opposes coal mine near drinking water source
Description
Birmingham City Council and Birmingham Water Works Board spoke against a proposed coal mine on Black Warrior River, five miles from a drinking water intake.
Author
Publisher Name
AL.com
Publisher Logo

Recent Posts

LA River restoration connects us back to ‘the life force of our city’

Los Angeles residents at a section of the Los Angeles River cleanup in Los Angeles,…

2 days ago

LAist: New study raises questions about heavy metals in fire retardants

Over the past decade, about 67 million gallons of fire retardant have been dropped on…

2 days ago

Meadow and watershed restoration in the Golden Trout Wilderness

Photo: Golden Trout Wilderness Seeking blue, seeing gold The Kern Plateau features a chain of…

3 days ago

First sighting of salmon in 100 years marks key milestone for California dam removal

For the first time in more than a century, a salmon was observed swimming through Klamath…

1 week ago

Developing state water roadmaps is essential

New turnout facility from the California Aqueduct on Monday, Oct. 23, 2023. Officials say the…

2 weeks ago

Migration Matters: Breaking Down Barriers to Migration

Over the past century, humans have constructed major transportation infrastructure like highways, bridges, railroads, and…

3 weeks ago