A.D.E.M. fails us again

The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) is among nation’s weakest state agencies when it comes to enforcing laws and protecting our water and air. Moreover, ADEM has been captured by the polluters they are supposed to regulate. With multiple environmental disasters occurring across the state in the last few weeks, the media is exposing ADEM’s growing incompetency and conflicts of interest.

TAKE ACTION: SEND THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS TO ADEM

Please submit comments on LeFleur’s job performance by email to aemc@adem.alabama.gov, or by mail to:
Alabama Environmental Management Commission
Attention: Personnel Committee
P.O. Box 301463
Montgomery, AL 36130-1463.

Comments must be received by 5 p.m. on July 31, and emails should include the subject line “ADEM” Director Job Performance Evaluation.” The Commission is seeking comments relating to LeFleur’s job performance between Oct. 20, 2018 and July 31, 2019.

Things continue to get worse for ADEM.

John Archibald, a pulitzer prize winning writer for al.com, wrote: “Alabama should have been shocked into action long ago by the sordid and salacious disregard of the agency that puts polluters over the people and limply makes excuses by explaining it is charged with managing destruction to the environment and not regulating it. Alabama should be offended by the disregard of the state’s health and beauty, of the fouling of the air and water and the cost to tourism and recreation and health and life.”

Kyle Whitmire, from al.com, wrote: “When 3M self-reported toxins it had dumped in the Tennessee River, [ADEM] didn’t bother to tell anyone — including the people who drink from that river. A Huntsville TV reporter had to discover the 3M disclosure on her own and do the work for them.In Alabama, the poisons aren’t just in our water, our air and our dirt. Our politics are the most poisonous of all.”

Josh Moon, a writer for the conservative leaning, Alabama Political Reporter, wrote this week: “Honestly, we are to the point now that we’re probably worse off with ADEM than without. We should take the money that we’re apparently wasting on that staff and give it to the various Riverkeeper groups around Alabama. Hell, they find half of the problems, and provide much more honest and thorough reports, and do a much better job notifying the general public of problems than ADEM ever has.

So much of the pollution in Alabama, especially 3M, is enabled by ADEM. This issue directly impacts all Alabamians, including you, our members. We ask you to please send your thoughts and comments to ADEM using the info below, and please keep sharing the news, talking to your friends about pollution, and by donating or volunteering using the links below.

Thank you,
David Whiteside, Riverkeeper