01/30/2012
Hi,
Here is an email from the environmental council about a petition to stop Shepherd Bend Mine:
http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-the-shepherd-bend-coal-mine-from-polluting-birminghams-water
http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/shepherd_bend_mine/?r=657886&id=33771-3737354-t1I8FYx
Dear Friends,
A proposed coal mine on University of Alabama system property
threatens the health, environment, and drinking water of Birmingham,
Alabama. The Shepherd Bend Mine would discharge pollutants into the
Black Warrior River just 800 feet from a major drinking water intake
that serves 200,000 people. Residents are worried that this mine will
ruin the water supply, create dangerous chemical runoff, spew
pollutants into the air, and decrease property values.
Not only are residents' health and livelihoods at risk, they may be
forced to carry the mine's financial burden: The Birmingham Water
Works Board (BWWB) warns that this mine could necessitate added
filtration, a cost that would be passed on to residents.
This mine will negatively impact the quality of Birmingham's drinking
water and therefore the health of its residents. That's why I'm asking
the University of Alabama Board of Trustees not to sell or lease
university-owned land to the Shepherd Bend mining company.
Shepherd Bend's wastewater discharge permit is in violation of federal
and state law, allowing 10 times the level of iron and 40 times the
level of manganese recommended by the Safe Drinking Water Act. The
Black Warrior River watershed is a major resource in Alabama,
providing homes to more than one million residents and supplying
drinking water for Jasper, Cullman, Oneonta, Tuscaloosa, and half of
Birmingham.
The Black Warrior River is already on the list of America's Most
Endangered Rivers. The 1,773 acre mining site would discharge
approximately 3,187 tons of sediment into downstream wetlands,
exposing the area to dangerous levels of pollution.
The majority of the proposed mining site and its mineral rights are
owned by the University of Alabama school system. If the UA Board of
Trustees decided against leasing or selling the land for the mine, the
project would no longer be economically feasible for the Shepherd Bend
mining company, and the company would likely abandon the plan.
Several notable people have voiced their opposition to this mine,
including Alabama college students, alumni, local conservation
organizations, and the Birmingham City Council. University of Alabama
alum Dr. W***y Rice went so far as to pledge to leave his seven-figure
estate to the University of Alabama if they demonstrate good
stewardship and protect Alabama’s waterways. However, despite so much
opposition, the administration only remains silent.
Please join me in urging Dr. Witt and the UA Board of Trustees to take
a stand. Sign this petition, and urge officials to make a public
statement that they will neither sell nor lease university land for
the Shepherd Bend Mine.
For clean water,
Caitlin McClusky
University of Alabama Environmental Council (ECo)
Coalition of Alabama Students for the Environment (CASE)
