Thankful for You

Dear Black Warrior Riverkeeper supporters,

Although society is increasingly plagued by division, there is an essential element that can unite us: water. When I begin my frequent presentations to groups of vastly varying backgrounds, ages, and interests, I ask audience members to raise their hands if they need clean water to survive and thrive. Of course, all hands go up, every time. We do this clean water work for the sake of all those who need it: everyone. And as a membership-based organization, we succeed in our advocacy efforts due to voluntary public support – your support. Thus far in 2019, we have achieved the following with your help:

» Investigated Tyson and Alabama Power’s fish kills, keeping people informed and officials accountable.

» Worked with allies to boost attendance at ADEM’s public hearing on Tyson’s Blountsville pollution permit.

» Sued EPA to ensure that two of our watershed’s most imperiled streams receive the required protection.

» Won a ruling with Public Justice and SELC that Drummond’s Maxine Mine is violating the Clean Water Act.

» Collaborated with SELC to make Alabama Power study improved water cooling at Plant Greene.

» Fielded pollution complaints, documented problems, and reported to government agencies and the media.

» Made 53 educational presentations to business, government, nonprofit, religious, and scholastic groups.

» Wrote comment letters to government agencies, requesting upgrades to 15 permits and/or water rules.

» Monitored 73 facilities across our 17-county basin through patrols by foot, truck, canoe, boat, and plane.

» Reviewed 281 facilities’ Discharge Monitoring Reports to record the number and nature of violations.

» Engaged hundreds of volunteers of all ages who donated thousands of community service hours.

» Retained our Platinum (top) rating on GuideStar, the leading source of information on nonprofits.

» Won the Holy Family Cristo Rey Corporate Work Study Program’s Supervisor of the Year award.

» Won, by our Riverkeeper, SELC’s James S. Dockery, Jr. Southern Environmental Leadership Award.

» Spread Southern Exposure DVDs across libraries in Blount, Jefferson, Tuscaloosa and Walker Counties.

» Expanded Waterkeepers Alabama from 8 to 10 organizations working synergistically across the state.

» Created an interactive map of ambient water quality data we collect throughout the Black Warrior watershed.

Please help propel our continued success for the sake of clean water by donating here: https://blackwarriorriver.org/donate/. We are thankful for your support!

For Clean Water in 2020,

Charles Scribner
Executive Director