The Associated Press article "TVA to ship tons of coal ash to Perry County" (The News, June 6) makes me wonder why Alabama is the dumping ground of our nation. 

Alabama the Beautiful, the River State, should remain that way for future generations. However, plans have been announced to bring an estimated 3.9 million tons of potentially cancer-causing coal waste from the Tennessee Valley Authority's coal-burning power plants in Kingston, Tenn., to Perry County. 

This coal waste contains toxic materials like mercury, arsenic and other potentially hazardous substances that require proper shipping and containment. Bringing 35,000 rail cars of these materials to a household waste facility in Perry County is environmental injustice toward Alabama's poor and minority citizens. 

Perry County residents are already burdened, as 32 percent live below the poverty line. Almost 70 percent of Perry County is African-American, making this a racial injustice. 

Dumping Tennessee's toxic waste in Alabama's communities is absurd. This toxic waste provides yet another reason why we must wean off dirty coal and look to renewable energy sources now. 

The waste from the largest coal ash spill in U.S. history will be cleaned, but at what cost to us? What effects will shipping millions of tons of waste across our state have on Alabamians? 

The decision to bring toxic trash here has been made for us and without us. This proposal hinges solely on EPA approval as the landfill already has certain operating permits. Does EPA approve of environmental injustice? I don't. 

Elizabeth L. Salter 
Alabama Rivers Alliance 
Birmingham