Anniston Star
January 3, 2003

Activist says state needs long-range environmental plan

Associated Press
01-03-2003

MONTGOMERY
The state environmental agency needs a long-term master plan for protecting the state's natural resources, an environmental activist said.

Pat Byington, a member of the state Environmental Management Commission, has placed the issue on the commission's agenda for its next meeting on Feb. 25. The commission sets policy for the state Department of Environmental Management.

"It's the job of the commissioners to develop environmental policy for the state and that also means developing an environmental master plan for ADEM," said Byington, former director of the Alabama Environmental Council, an environmental watchdog group.

Byington said the master plan should state environmental goals and initiatives and should require annual reviews of ADEM's director.

The state environmental agency has long been criticized as being too lax in enforcement of pollution laws and too friendly to industry when granting permits. ADEM officials say they are limited by the authority granted by the
Legislature and by lack of money.

Byington told The Huntsville Times that having a master plan would combat pollution before it occurs.

"Right now, we just don't have any direction," he said. "In my opinion, we're rudderless."

Having stated goals and objectives could increase the chances for more state funding, he said.

"Any businessman will tell you, you don't invest in a company that does not have a master business plan," Byington said. "The same goes here in state government. The Legislature is not going to give more money to ADEM if we don't have any idea or vision of where we're going."

Byington said ADEM should develop more partnerships similar to its work with TVA's water and fish tissue monitoring program. He suggested ADEM might work with counties and cities on intra-agency recycling programs and training workers in other pro-environmental efforts.

Jefferson County, for instance, recycles oil in county vehicles and offers educational programs to the public on the proper handling of household waste.

The county reduced water consumption by 1.8 million gallons last year in county offices simply by installing remote sensor faucets and toilets. Energy consumption was cut 700,000 kilowatt hours by using energy-efficient lights and cutting off unused devices. The county's print shop switched to a soy-based ink that is lower in toxins, said Mike Higginbotham, coordinator of the Thinkecological program in Jefferson County.

Gov.-elect Bob Riley seems receptive to Byington's ideas. Riley said Tuesday he hopes to resolve the so-called "water wars" dispute over rivers that Alabama shares with surrounding states. Riley said he's already had discussions with the next Georgia governor about setting tougher water quality standards for common rivers.

Protecting air quality through ozone standards also rates high on his agenda, he said, although he stopped short of saying he would renew the push for a vehicle emissions testing bill.