Shoals Environmental Alliance public meeting re: landfill expansion opposition

*PRESS RELEASE*

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*For release: Immediately*

*From: Shoals Environmental Alliance*

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*Contact:  *

*Charles Rose (256) 381-2826, 366-1937*

*David Cope (256) 766-1531*

*Scott Ruffrage (256) 443-6631 *

*Adrienne Freebairn (256) 443-0071*

*John Crowder (256) 767-1806*

*Elizabeth Salter, Alabama Rivers Alliance, (205) 322-6395*

*Barbara Evans, Wild Law, (334) 324-7222 *





*Shoals Environmental Alliance opposes Florence landfill expansion,*

*will host public meeting to discuss the issue *



*Nov. 19 --- Shoals Environmental Alliance (SEA) today formally announced
its opposition to the proposed expansion of the Florence Landfill. *

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*On Tuesday, November 24, SEA will host a public meeting to inform the
public about some of the issues involved and to discuss strategies for
stopping the proposed expansion. *

**

*The meeting will be at **the **Florence-Lauderdale Public Library**, in the
conference room. *

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*5:00pm**:*  refreshments, informal discussion & informational tables.

*5:30-7:00pm*:  meeting, including a presentation and a group discussion for
formulating an action plan.



For more details about the meeting, call Charles Rose at (256) 366-1937.



*SEA members were among the many who protested the landfill expansion at the
Nov. 17 **Florence** City Council meeting. Despite the large turnout in
opposition, the council approved the city's purchase of the Florence Golf &
Country Club property for the proposed expansion. *



*Florence Golf & Country Club is situated on 157 rolling acres along Cypress
Creek, a popular destination for canoeing, kayaking, tube floating,
swimming, birding and fly fishing. The **Florence** landfill lies just to
the south of the country club property. *



*David Cope,** a **University** of **North Alabama** math professor, **Charles
Rose**, president of Shoals Environmental Alliance, and John Crowder, an
environmental consultant, have recently called attention to what they think
are serious problems with both the present landfill and the old landfill in
West Florence.*

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*They say the limestone karst terrain in this area is a poor choice for
siting a landfill. *

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*Storm water runoff from the landfill has silted Cypress Creek, creating
a large gravel bar. *

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*Cope and Rose have evidence that leachate from the landfill is entering the
groundwater and polluting seven springs along a 1,000 ft. stretch of Cypress
Creek. *

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*Cope, Rose and Crowder say that expanding the landfill will just compound
these already existing problems. They fear that pollution from the landfill
could despoil the creek and harm aquatic species.*

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*There is another polluted spring flowing into Cypress Creek at the site of
the old West Florence landfill.*



*Residents along the creek are concerned that property values will decline
if the landfill expansion takes place. *

**

*Scott Ruffrage and other residents near the present landfill already
complain about offensive smells and noise.*



*A grassroots group, **Save Cypress Creek**, was formed Nov. 15 when about
80 people, mostly **Florence** residents, met to organize opposition to the
landfill expansion. The meeting, organized by **Scott Ruffrage** and **Adrienne
Freebairn,** was also attended by Elizabeth Salter, Watershed Organizer with
Alabama Rivers Alliance, and Barbara Evans, Organizing Coordinator with
Wild Law, an environmental law firm in **Montgomery**. *



*Save Cypress Creek** members, who made up the majority of the landfill
opponents at Tuesday’s council meeting, are currently circulating petitions
in opposition to the landfill expansion. They will be in attendance at
Tuesday’s meeting. They say they are determined to put a stop to what they
think is a disaster in the making. *

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On August 11 of this year runoff from the landfill created a huge silt plume
in Cypress Creek. The runoff also created a huge unnatural-looking gravel
and silt bar in the creek.



Excessive silting means death for many aquatic species, including snails and
mussels.



A species of special concern, the Warty Rocksnail, is known to inhabit
Cypress Creek and has been found right at the point of the landfill runoff.



The state has given this snail its highest rating of “S-1”, meaning
“Critically imperiled in Alabama because of extreme rarity…….especially
vulnerable to extirpation from Alabama.”



There are also reports that the Eastern Hellbender salamander has been
observed in the creek. It is a species of high conservation concern, listed
as “Endangered” in many states, and “Threatened” in many other states.



Landfill expansion opponents are hopeful that Cypress Creek can be
protected, for the conservation of these species and for the enjoyment of
Shoals area residents, their children and grandchildren.

**

*(END)*



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This email is from:
Charles L. Rose
President
Shoals Environmental Alliance
1206 N. Montgomery Ave.
Sheffield, AL 35660
H. (256) 381-2826
C. (256) 366-1937
chuckrivers@comcast.net