Black Warrior Riverkeeper

North Birmingham’s Bluestone Coke plant issued warning for Clean Water Act violations

The industrial plant has 60 days to clean up contaminated water in Five Mile Creek before it faces a federal lawsuit, local environmental groups warn.

Putting a Price Tag on a Fish Kill

Last month's wastewater spill at a chicken plant in Hanceville resulted in the largest reported fish kill in years. Environmental groups and residents want to see hefty fines against those responsible for the incident, but how do officials come up with a dollar amount?

Officials Investigate Fish Kill Along Black Warrior River

State officials are looking into a fish kill that happened near Alabama Power’s Plant Gorgas in Walker County. Environmental advocates say they found at least 100 dead fish downstream of the plant.

Uniontown Hopes to Finally Fix its Sewage Problem

The city of Uniontown is set to receive more than $31 million in mostly federal money to address a decades-old sewage issue. But some say the problem should have already been fixed.

Groups Ask Ivey to Push for New State Environmental Leaders

Environmental groups have asked Gov. Kay Ivey to take steps to remove from office state environmental officials who were implicated during the recent bribery trial over a plan to block the expansion of a Superfund toxic waste site in Tarrant and Inglenook.

Unique Alabama Salamander Now Federally Protected

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Tuesday that it would protect a rare Alabama salamander under the Endangered Species Act. The Black Warrior waterdog, sometimes called the Alabama mudpuppy, is large, strange, and found only in the state.

Environmental Group Warns of Coal Ash Contamination

Alabama Power recently released coal ash inundation maps, meant to show areas that would be affected if dams around coal-ash storage ponds were to breach. The utility says that’s never happened and there’s no imminent danger. But a local environmental group disagrees.

Drummond Coal Won’t Renew Shepherd Bend Mine Permit

Drummond Company Inc., a global leader in coal production and one of the largest private companies in the U.S., has faced controversy ever since it received a permit to mine coal at Shepherd Bend, an area close to an intake for Birmingham’s drinking water supply. Many groups and consumers, worried about toxins and chemicals reaching the water, […]