Letter to the editor in the Birmingham News: A Victory for Public Health

Letters, faxes, and e-mail
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
A victory for public health:
Alabamians received a victory for public health at the Environmental Management Commission meeting Friday, when a majority of the commissioners present voted to reduce the cancer risk allowed in our waterways from 1 in 100,000 to 1 in 1 million.
The need to strengthen this important water quality regulation was brought to the commission almost a year ago by 18 conservation organizations. After months of hard work by the citizens and the commission, the commission reached the right decision to protect the public health of all Alabamians.

The commission went even further in favor of the public at Friday's meeting by voting to hold two of its bimonthly meetings outside of Montgomery in other cities around the state, with the intent to encourage more public attendance and increase awareness of its work and the work of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. This idea was first published in 2002 by the ADEM Reform Coalition in its blueprint for ADEM reform.
Several of the 41 coalition member organizations were on hand at the meeting to celebrate these important victories for Alabamians and their environment. I want to commend the commission and the citizens for working together to move Alabama forward.
Cindy Lowry
Executive director
Alabama Rivers Alliance
Birmingham