Send a Letter to Alabama Legislators
Sample Letter to Legislators #1
Dear ,
,
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]
Mail your letter to
these Contacts:
Jeff Peoples, Chairman
President and CEO
Alabama Power Company
1802 6th Ave N
Birmingham, AL 35203
Angus R. Cooper II
Chairman of Board, AL Power
118 N Royal St. #1100
Mobile, AL 36602
Susan B. Comensky
Vice President Environmental Affairs
1802 6th Ave N
Birmingham, AL 35203
Chris Womack
President and CEO Southern Company
30 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd. NW
Atlanta, GA 30308
To: Alabama Power, Southern Company
c/o: Jeff Peoples, Angus Cooper, Susan Comensky, and Chris Womack
Dear [Alabama Power Executives or specific executive, i.e. Jeff Peoples, CEO],
I was pleased to read about the plans you now have to recycle and remove 700,000 tons of coal ash a year from Plant Barry. However, I ask you not to leave any coal ash capped in place. We need a timeline and actual commitment in meeting the EPA standards needed to protect Mobile Bay.
We know the coal ash pond at Barry Steam Plant has been leaking toxic metals into the groundwater for years, continuing up to today. Furthermore, Alabama Power’s plan to leave any of the remaining ash "capped-in-place" means the ash pond will remain next to the Mobile River and continue to pollute the groundwater and river forever.
Alabama Power must take environmentally responsible action to prevent irreparable harm to our Mobile-Tensaw Delta, Mobile River, the historic African-American community of Africatown, and Mobile Bay. I will continue to track the progress to recycle, remove, and close the ash pond.
I would like to tell you some of the reasons why I feel this is important:
[insert your personal comments here].
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Address]
[Date]
Coal Ash in Alabama
Click play to watch a short film about coal ash throughout Alabama.
Produced by SouthernExposureFilms.org in partnership with Alabama Rivers Alliance.
What else can you do to help?
Write a letter to the Alabama Power decision-makers (see template).
Volunteer at an event we attend or host.
Spread the word to your family and friends about the ongoing and nearby coal ash pollution.
Attend a public meeting, presentation, or event we host.
Follow us on social media and share our posts.
Stay updated on the issues by subscribing to receive our emails.
Earthjustice, a nonprofit that handles environmental lawsuits, has also compiled the data from pond operators. The organization has information on more than 500 coal ash ponds across the United States, including an interactive map and spreadsheet. Users can use these to search by a variety of factors, including state, utility and name of the plant.
If you can’t find the information you’re seeking on a utility’s website, you can check with state regulators. The EPA has compiled a list of those agencies. (CNN, 2021)