August 16, 2019 Alabama Environmental Management Commission Meeting

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I attended the Alabama Environmental Management Commission (AEMC) meeting today in Montgomery, Alabama.

ADEM Director Lance LeFleur provided an update on the department as well as a report of ADEM performance over the last 20 years.

The ADEM 2020 fiscal year budget begins on October 1 where ADEM will receive $4 million dollars from a state General Fund appropriation with the balance of their budget needs coming from federal grants in the same amounts received annual since 2010. The Director reports that total ADEM funding is adequate to meet the department’s FY2020 budget needs.

A survey to gauge public environmental perceptions has been conducted every 5 years since 1998 which allows ADEM to compare public perceptions to actual ADEM performance. While the public accurately believes that the quality of Alabama’s air and water are much cleaner than in our past, the Director indicates the surveys show that most people in the state do not realize the following facts:

  • Motor vehicles are the biggest source of air pollution

  • Stormwater is the biggest source of water pollution

  • Environmental laws are actually being enforced in Alabama

Air Quality: While the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for Criteria Air :Pollutants have tightened significantly over time, Alabama has done a great job in attaining those standards. In 2015 Alabama attained compliance with all NAAQS.

Drinking Water: Regulated drinking water contaminants fall within 4 categories (organic, inorganic, radionuclides, and microbes). The standards for these contaminants have tightened over time. in 1982 only 82% of the water systems in Alabama were in compliance. Today, 98% of water systems in Alabama are in compliance. The only state with fewer water system violations is Hawaii.

Clean Water Act 303(d) Impaired Streams: from 1998 to 2018 the number of Alabama stream segments with impaired water quality on the 303(d) list has dropped significantly due to improved water quality along with the implementation of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs).

Wastes: 25% of Alabama wastes are now recycled. Under ADEM’s Scrap Tire program, 341 illegal scrap tire dumps and 9.9 million passenger car tires have been cleaned up. Under ADEM’s Brownfield program, 400 brownfield sites have been returned to public use.

ADEM regulates around 35,000 facilities in the state.

In other matters, congratulations are in order to Jeff Kitchens who was recently appointed Chief of ADEM’s Water Division. Congratulations are also in order to Glenda Dean who recently retired as Chief of the Water Division. I have worked with Jeff and Glenda for many years and their leadership and service to our state are appreciated.

In Commission business, amendments to ADEM’s Environmental Covenants Program regulations were adopted to align ADEM regulations with certain provisions in the Uniform Environmental Covenants Act. In other business, ADEM water quality program regulations were amended to incorporate federal regulatory provisions allowing ADEM to publish NPDES permitting matters via web notice in lieu of newspaper publications. This will result in a significant cost savings to ADEM.

Public comments at the end of the Commission meeting predominately focused on coal ash pond closures with the speakers advocating permanent closures by removal rather than closures in place.

The next Commission meeting is scheduled for October 18, 2019

Danny Smith