Take Action at ADEM on August 17

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TAKE ACTION:
Speak up for your right to know about sewage spills in Alabama!

As you may know, Black Warrior Riverkeeper, with Waterkeepers Alabama and Alabama Rivers Alliance, petitioned the Alabama Environmental Management Commission (AEMC) for better regulations regarding public notification of sewage spills and overflows.  The AEMC’s Rules Committee will decide whether to recommend rulemaking on Friday, August 17th at 10am. It would help our efforts significantly to have people who recreate in Alabama’s creeks, rivers, and lakes speak about the importance of adequate public notification when there are sewage spills.  Can you come and tell the rules committee why you want to know when sewage spills happen in your area?  Even if you don’t speak, your presence will help us demonstrate the importance of this issue. 

There will be a brief opportunity for public comments, not to exceed 3 minutes, by signing up at least 10 minutes before the start of the meeting at:

AEMC’s Rules Committee Meeting
10am | Friday, August 17th
Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM)
1400 Coliseum Boulevard | Montgomery, AL 36110

Ask the AEMC Rules Committee to recommend sewage spill public notification rulemaking to the full Commission.  Tell them you want to keep yourself and your community safe from sewage.  Tell them about your recreational use of water in Alabama.  Tell them you think notification is no good if it does not provide minimum standards of what local operators must do to get the word out about overflows and spills.  Ask them to follow the petioners’ great example and craft a strong rule to protect us all, one like they currently have in Georgia.

In response to our petition, ADEM implemented an email sewage overflow notification program that the public can sign up for, but this step is just not enough to adequately notify the public.  In Alabama, where many lack computer and smartphone access, email notification alone won’t work.  We have asked the AEMC to adopt good regulations which require local operators do their part by posting signs and utilizing text, phone, news media, and social media to make sure people nearby and downstream are aware.  Please attend the AEMC meeting on August 17 to help promote this progress. 

To receive Black Warrior Riverkeeper action alerts by email, click here: actionnetwork.org/forms/signup-form-for-black-warrior-riverkeeper-action-alerts

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