GET INVOLVED TODAY!
We need your voice!
Your involvement has a huge impact, even in the smallest of ways. To help us get the word out about the need for safer regulations on coal ash, there are several ways you can get involved.
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Write a letter to you legislators (see sample letters and legislator addresses below).
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Volunteer at an event we attend or host.
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Spread the word to your family and friends about the ongoing and nearby coal ash pollution.
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Follow us & Mobile Baykeeper on social media and share our posts.
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Stay updated on the issues by subscribing to receive our emails.​
Send us a message through the form on this page or email us at move.the.ash@gmail.com. We hope to meet you soon!
WHY WRITE A LETTER?
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The unlined Barry coal ash pond sits in the 100-year flood plain of Mobile River.
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Currently, one dirt dike keeps the 21+ million tons of toxic coal ash from flowing into the Mobile River and the Mobile/Tensaw Delta.
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Similar dirt dikes in Tennessee and North Carolina have failed resulting in tragic coal ash pollution at those sites.
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The coal ash lagoon is currently contaminating groundwater with arsenic and cobalt according to Alabama Power reports from 2018 continuing up to the latest report in 2022.
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A spill from the Barry coal ash lagoon would be 20 times the volume of the BP oil spill which was 96 miles from Alabama coast. Barry lagoon is 25 miles upriver from the city of Mobile.
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Alabama Power's current plan to close the lagoon by dewatering, consolidating, and capping the ash still leaves ash sitting in groundwater on the side of Mobile River where it will continue to pollute indefinitely.
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Alabama Power used a "cap in place" to close the coal ash pond at the Gadsden plant. After closure, ground watering monitoring data shows pollution levels of arsenic that are 10,000 % above the legal limit and 50% greater for radium.
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Major electric utilities in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee have all determined that removal of coal ash from unlined ponds next to bodies of water is the only environmentally sound method to protect the health and welfare of their citizens.
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Georgia Power, a sister company to Alabama Power, has voluntarily agreed to excavate and remove coal ash from 20 ponds. The ash from these ponds will be recycled for beneficial use, relocated to a permitted lined landfill or consolidated with other ash ponds being closed in place.
Like many other southeastern states with coal ash ponds near bodies of water, we firmly believe that safer alternatives must be implemented to protect our communities and the environment.
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To prevent irreparable harm, we implore our legislators to require Alabama Power to do the right thing by recycling as much coal ash as possible and by relocating any remaining ash to an upland lined landfill.
Tips on Writing to Your Elected Officials
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Make it short and sweet: If your legislator is receiving a ton of mail about certain hot-button issues, you’ll want to make your point quickly.
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Tell a story: The more personal your letter is, the more compelling it will be to your legislator. Tell your legislator how bills will affect you, your family, or your friends.
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Problem, solution, action: In the letter be sure to include the problem, the solution, and the action you want taken (i.e. “Move the Ash”).
Addresses for legislators are provided below.
FEDERAL AND STATE LEGISLATORS
Tommy Tuberville, US Senator
455 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4124
Katie Boyd Britt, US Senator
416 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5744
Barry Moore, US Representative
408 S. Main Ave. Ste. 200
Wetumpka, AL 36092
(334) 547-6630
Greg Allbritton, State Senator, District 22
1100 Fairhope Avenue
Fairhope, AL 36532
251.990.4615 or
Matt Simpson
State Representative
District 94
1100 Fairhope Ave.
Fairhope, AL 36532
251.990.4615 or
334.261.0424
Jennifer Fidler, State Representative
District 94
1100 Fairhope Ave.
Fairhope, AL 36532
251.990.4615
Frances Holk-Jones
State Representative
District 95
1100 Fairhope Ave.
Fairhope, AL 36532
251.990.4615 or
334.261.0523
If you would like to send a personalized letter to our elected officials, you may want to use these talking points. Sample letters are provided at the bottom of this page.
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Are recreation activities on unpolluted water important to you?
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Potential for hurricanes and tropical storms providing irreparable danger to Mobile and Bay area from the rupture of the pond’s dike.
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General concerns about the long-term effects of coal ash pollution.
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Health impacts – clean and safe drinking water; pollution of the Bay, etc.
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Environment – damage to local ecosystem, wildlife, seafood habitats, etc.
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Flora and fauna are affected in “America’s Amazon”.
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Other information that means something to you if a disaster larger than the BP oil spill happened again.
SAMPLE LETTERS TO SEND TO YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS
You may copy either of our samples below to add to your own personalized letter.
Sample Letter #1
Dear [Insert Legislator Name] ,
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I am deeply concerned about the 21 million tons of toxic, cancer-causing coal ash that Alabama Power has stored beside the Mobile River at Plant Barry. This massive waste lagoon is held back by nothing more than a single dirt dike.
We know the risk is real. In 2008, a similar dike failed in Kingston, Tennessee, releasing 1 billion gallons of sludge, destroying communities, and contaminating rivers for decades. The Barry pond holds more than four times that amount—over 4 billion gallons. If this dike fails, toxic pollution would devastate the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, flow into our rivers and bay, and create the most polluted industrial site in the nation. The environmental and economic consequences for our region would be catastrophic.
That is why I urge you to support requiring Alabama Power to recycle and remove all coal ash from the Plant Barry pond. Utilities in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia are already taking this responsible path, fully excavating unlined ash ponds and protecting their communities. Alabama deserves no less.
This is about protecting our health, our waterways, and our future. Please stand with us to ensure Alabama Power does the right thing before it’s too late.
Sincerely,

[Your Name]
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Sample Letter #2
Dear [Insert Legislator Name] ,
I am deeply concerned about the 21 million tons of toxic coal ash stored beside the Mobile River at Plant Barry. A single dirt dike holds back over 4 billion gallons of sludge—four times more than the Kingston, TN disaster that devastated communities in 2008. If this dike fails, the Mobile-Tensaw Delta and Mobile Bay would face catastrophic pollution and economic damage.
Other states, including North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, are protecting their citizens by recycling and removing coal ash from unlined ponds. Alabama Power must do the same. I urge you to support requiring the safe removal of all coal ash from Plant Barry to protect our health, waterways, and future.
Sincerely,

[Your Name
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