In a very sensible move, the Birmingham City Council passed a resolution today against the University of Alabama leasing or selling any land for the purpose of coal mining activities, that will discharge toxic wastes into the Black Warrior River directly across river from the intakes of the Birmingham Water Works.
We applaud this resolution and congratulate BWRK for their steadfast devotion to helping to make this a reality. It's one for the win column in what is sure to remain a hard fight against big coal in Alabama.
BWRK is urging concerned citizens to continue to contact the UofA and voice their opposition. Thank your riverkeepers too for looking out for you Alabama!
The UA System is on Spring Break and their UA System Office voice mail is now full.
Please relay your Shepherd Bend Mine concerns to their leadership via email today:
mportera@uasystem.ua.edu
mbownes@uasystem.ua.edu
mspearing@uasystem.ua.edu
rsmith@uasystem.ua.edu
kreinhar@uasystem.ua.edu
stjohnfe@bellsouth.net
mbownes@uasystem.ua.edu
mspearing@uasystem.ua.edu
rsmith@uasystem.ua.edu
kreinhar@uasystem.ua.edu
stjohnfe@bellsouth.net
witt@pres.ua.edu
cgarrison@uab.eduAnd please call them next week when they’re back from vacation: 205-348-5320
2011BWRKPressReleaseBirminghamShepherdBendResolutionMar152011
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Thanks to Black Warrior Riverkeeper members and also the Birmingham City Council.
ReplyDeleteI just sent my emails to the University list.
Tomorrow morning I will call the Birmingham City Council to thank them for this most important vote of no confidence for the coal industry, the University and to support and praise the good work of BWRK.
Finally some really good news. Thanks Max.
Yea!!!!
ReplyDeleteLove you BWRK!!!!
President Witt, it's your move, what's it going to be?
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe this city council did this, but damn good for them!
ReplyDeleteBWRK is a formidable force, very good work!
Here's what I just wrote and sent:
ReplyDeleteBirmingham, March 15, 2011
Dr. Malcolm Portera, Chancellor
Mr. Finis St. John, President Pro Tem
Dr. Robert E. Witt, President, UA
Dr. Carol Garrison, President, UAB
[I cc'ed the legal and staff people]
Dear Chancelor Portera, President Pro Tem St. John, President Witt and President Garrison,
As a resident of the City of Birmingham, as a responsible citizen of the State of Alabama, and an almuna with degrees from several programs of the University of Alabama System, I heartily support the Birmingham City Council's vote today in favor of the Resolution imploring the University of Alabama System to neither sell nor lease their significant land and mineral holdings to allow coal mining at Shepherd Bend.
I urge you not to facilitate this degradation of both landscape and water and instead, marshal your institutions' considerable scientific resources in an effort both to model energy conservation and support research into alternatives to the use of coal-fired plants to generate electricity.
I, my family, my community--and my asthma, urge you to act decisively on or before the end of this month, March 2011, to protect our water and wildlife, and as one of your own professors has stated, seize the opportunity to demonstrate the importance of long-term stewardship rather than short term profit.
[http://bit.ly/f3LnLb]
Admire your tenacity Riverkeeper. You have stayed after this with formidable pressure and hat tip to you for being brave and fighting the good fights!
ReplyDeleteToo bad we don't have you for more widespread water fights, Alabama could use more like you.
We get clobbered on the coast with toxins.
Of course ADEM will continue to go along with this mine despite what the BCC does. That's one state department that is over-bloated and ineffective. 600 employees and nothing ever really gets done but bad things. They are basically a big polluter clearing house.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
ReplyDeleteMy letters have gone off and will share with others. This mine is just another insane idea by big Alabama coal. What the heck is the UA doing in the coal business speculation business anyway?
Oh, never mind...DRUMMOND.