State Waterkeeper groups notify state environmental protection agency about non-compliance of new water quality rules

Alabama’s eight Waterkeeper groups have notified the Alabama Department of Environmental Management that seven sewer plant permits statewide will not be in compliance of the new water quality rules for E. coli that take effect on Friday, February 3rd.

The sewer plants are located at Mountain Brook, Anniston, Piedmont and Blount County, among others.  The Coosa Riverkeeper has posted the following interactive map with the location of the plants.

“ADEM, whether intentionally or not, has put forward over a half-dozen permits that will not comply with the regulations that ADEM themselves recommended to the Environmental Management Commission. Today, we are asking ADEM to make changes to these permits to protect the health of people that recreate in streams like Choccolocco Creek,” said Frank Chitwood, the Staff Riverkeeper at Coosa Riverkeeper, Inc. in a statement that was publish on the Coosa Riverkeeper website.

Waterkeeper Alliance member groups signing the letter include – Black Warrior Riverkeeper, Cahaba Riverkeeper, Choctawhatchee Riverkeeper, Coosa Riverkeeper, Hurricane Creekkeeper, Little River Waterkeeper, Mobile Baykeeper, and Tennessee Riverkeeper.

For additional information, read the notification letter –here  and the press release – here.