Officials Want More Contamination Testing In North Birmingham
More than 500 properties in North Birmingham have not been tested for contamination, Congresswoman Terri Sewell said Wednesday while touring Collegeville with city, state and EPA officials. She’s encouraging people who have rejected soil testing to allow EPA to check for contaminants.
“We understand some of the citizens may be distrustful, but it’s important for us in order to truly have cleanup that is comprehensive for us to get those sites that have not been tested, tested,” Sewell says.
There’s been a lot of attention on this cleanup lately because of a federal corruption trial that ended last month. A lawyer with Balch & Bingham and a coal executive with Drummond Company were convicted for their role in a scheme to discourage property owners from getting their soil tested for contamination. Former state Rep. Oliver Robinson also was involved in the scheme.
Neighborhoods such as Collegeville and Fairmont are located near large industries that have polluted the area for years; one of them is ABC Coke, a Drummond company.
Sewell says soil has been removed and replaced already on more than 390 properties. Work still needs to be done on 127 contaminated properties. But there are still residents who refuse testing, or the property was vacant, she says.
The federal government has spent about $20 million on the North Birmingham Cleanup since 2014, according the Environmental Protection Agency. Sewell says polluters should bear some of the cost for cleanup.
“The only money that has been spent for the removal process has been federal funds coming from the EPA,” she says. “No potential responsible party has given any resources toward this clean up.”
Mayor Randall Woodfin says in addition to the EPA funds for North Birmingham, he wants to involve more agencies in restoring and revitalizing the impacted neighborhoods.
“What we’re committed to is making sure that this area gets the resources, focus and attention it needs to make sure that residents here where they live are safe,” Woodfin says.
The Jefferson County Department Health was not represented at the press briefing. Jefferson County Health Officer Dr. Mark Wilson and Sewell said the health department was not invited because of miscommunication.
Wilson said the health department is concerned for the health and well-being of North Birmingham residents and all of Jefferson County.
Voting nears to a close in Texas primary that may be crucial to control of the Senate
The GOP and Democratic primaries mark a potential litmus test for what direction base voters want their parties to go ahead of midterm elections this fall that will determine power in Congress.
Pregnant migrant girls are being sent to a Texas shelter flagged as medically risky
Government officials and advocates for the children worry the goal is to concentrate them in Texas, where abortion is banned.
The 2026 World Cup faces big challenges with only 100 days to go
Will Iran compete? Will violence in Mexico flare up? And what about funding for host cities in the U.S.? With only 100 days left before it beings, the 2026 World Cup in North America is facing a lot of uncertainty.
A glimpse of Iran, through the eyes of its artists and journalists
Understanding one of the world's oldest civilizations can't be achieved through a single film or book. But recent works of literature, journalism, music and film by Iranians are a powerful starting point.
Mitski comes undone
She may be indie rock's queen of precisely rendered emotion, but on Mitski's latest album, Nothing's About to Happen to Me, warped perspectives, questionable motives and possible hauntings abound.
This quiet epic is the top-grossing Japanese live action film of all time
The Oscar-nominated Kokuho tells a compelling story about friendship, the weight of history and the torturous road to becoming a star in Japan's Kabuki theater.
