Alabama Department of Health Fish Advisory 2008 (still current for 2010)

Coosa River – St. Clair, Talladega counties

Between Riverside and Logan Martin Dam

Contaminant – PCBs
Do not consume striped bass

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Coosa River – Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega counties

Between Logan Martin Dam and the railroad tracks crossing the Coosa near Vincent

Contaminant - PCBs
Do not consume striped bass

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Coosa River – Chilton, Coosa, Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega counties

Lay Lake between Logan Martin Dam and Lay Dam

Contaminant - PCBs
Do not consume striped bass

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Coosa River – St. Clair County

In upper Lay Reservoir approximately two miles downstream of Logan Martin Dam and one half mile downstream from the Kelly Creek - Coosa River Confluence in the vicinity of Ratcliff/Elliott Island.

Contaminant - PCBs

Limited consumption of spotted bass

The PCBs are insoluble and will remain on the Coosa River bed for a very long time.How did they get there? From the Solutia Pharmaceutical plant (part of Monsanto) and a client of Stephen Bradley's.

This is a dangerous contaminant considered to be carcinogenic. Mercury and arsenic are the other two main toxic pollutants in this river and their levels do fluctuate, but the PCBs remain constant and confined to the bottom, that is until something stirs up the river bed.

We can think of one thing that might; the deep excavation by Vincent Hills which will increase the gradient of groundwater flow towards the quarry. From there, the PCBs will be pulled all throughout the groundwater conduits. Vincent's groundwater recharge is tied to the Spring Creek tributary of the Coosa River, which in turn ties the river to our groundwater.

WRQ Reps, the Town of Vincent and Shelby County continue to ignore this concern and dismiss it as an impossibility. In fact, WRQ Reps are now claiming, "nothing will happen to the water."  If that is true, then why make temporary emergency plans to provide an alternate water source in the event the quarry interrupts the water supply? Why tell the Town of Vincent that they will have to bear the cost of a water treatment facility?

In Shelby County's other two cities where mining is taking place, Calera and Alabaster, both towns have lost their water and/or seen it contaminated by the mining companies. But, we are to believe it will not happen in Vincent from the same type of industry?

The WRQ Reps Fowler and Bradley, are disingenuous in their claims and misleading the greedy Vincent and Shelby County officials who only care about getting their hands on the revenues from this operation. They could care less about their citizens or anyone else for that matter. They have demonstrated that time and again with their arrogant behavior towards their citizens and anything that opposes what the WRQ Reps claim.

The lack of any willingness to have an independent Environmental Assessment study done, which would illuminate not only any potential environmental issues, but also the social and economic impacts that are inherent with this quarry, prove the "inside baseball" going on here.

If a non-biased, strictly science based study as opposed to one that is propaganda based (which is what is on the table now) reveals the high risks that are present, then the project would be stopped in the name of public health and safety in addition to environmental reasons.

Why let insignificant issues such as that stand in the way of padding your own pockets?

The same goes for Shelby County who is pushing this project on Vincent. It is rumored they will approve it even if Vincent does not. They want the 6.5 million revenue and don't care what it takes to get it; even if that means destroying Vincent in the process.

The officials behavior and extremely poor choices border on purposeful endangerment and is against what leaders of municipalities are bound to do for their citizens and communities; which is to protect them.

As for the Coosa River, it's only the 10th most threatened river in the US, what's a little more harm to it matter? 

Answer; It should matter a lot more than it seems to this current string of "rotten fish" masquerading as public officials who care about their communities.