Kim Adams: ADEM permit for Plant Barry closure a victory for facts over sensationalism
Last week, state regulators with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) finalized a permit allowing Alabama Power Company to move ahead with its plan to permanently close its coal ash site at Plant Barry near Mobile. That’s good news for a number of reasons, and state regulators should be applauded for looking past the sensationalism surrounding the proposed plan and focusing instead on the facts and science at hand. Although many independent experts concluded that the coal ash site at Plant Barry could be safely closed in place, a handful of activists nonetheless called on ADEM to require Alabama Power Company to excavate the material to some other, unnamed community. Doing so would have been foolhardy and dangerous, especially considering that the material would take three decades to relocate. Moreover, history has shown clearly that half a century of hurricanes and major storm events have never remotely threatened Plant Barry’s coal ash site, even without the robust site improvements that will now be made under the approved permit. There’s also the issue of where Plant Barry’s coal ash would be moved anyway. Groups like Mobile Baykeeper never bothered to suggest a new home. At least one community, the MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians, raised serious concern that Plant Barry’s coal ash could be transported through tribal land north of Mobile, disrupting traffic, schools, and community life for decades, not to mention the danger of thousands of trucks traveling local roads. In the end, attempts by Mobile Baykeeper and others to label the closure in place method as unsafe simply couldn’t compete with the facts. Other utilities have also elected to close large coal ash sites in place rather than move them, and, in fact, a majority of the volume of coal ash in the Southeast is being handled that way. That’s because the method was approved by both the Obama and Trump administrations and has been deemed safe by experts who understand that every coal ash site is different. By sticking to the facts, ADEM’s regulators made the right decision. The plan they considered was well-conceived and supported by independent experts in geology and hydrology. It was also supported by many local leaders who understood that closing the coal ash site in place was a more sensible option than disrupting the southwest Alabama community for decades with truckloads of coal ash competing with local traffic daily. It’s always worthy of applause when truth overcomes hype. Kudos to ADEM for tuning out the noise and making the right call. Kim Adams is the Executive Director of Jobkeeper Alliance. She is a native of Hurtsboro, Alabama. Adams is helping lead the fight to support American workers and combat efforts that threaten jobs.
Home Builders Association endorses Katie Britt after unprecedented fundraising campaign
U.S. Senate candidate Katie Britt has announced that she has received the endorsement of the Home Builders Association of Alabama (HBAA). The endorsement follows Britt’s address at the association’s summer meeting in Baldwin County recently. HBAA is a trade association of nearly 8,000 members, serving as an advocate for Alabama’s housing and construction industry and as a unified channel through which home builders contribute time, money, and services to local community service projects and education initiatives. “The Home Builders Association of Alabama is proud to be the first major trade association to formally endorse Katie Britt for U.S. Senate,” stated 2021 HBAA President Blake Corder. “We believe in Katie’s ability to put the knowledge and experience that she gained as Senator Richard Shelby’s Chief of Staff and as President and CEO of the Business Council of Alabama to work for the people of Alabama.” “The home building industry is the backbone of Alabama’s economy, employing thousands of hardworking Alabamians,” he continued. “Her understanding of the importance of Alabama-based small businesses makes her the best candidate qualified to represent our great state.” Britt said in a statement that she was proud to have earned this early endorsement, which is indicative of her campaign’s growing momentum. The endorsement comes after Britt’s record-shattering fundraising haul in June, of which 90% was from Alabama. “I am excited and proud to have earned the endorsement of the Home Builders Association of Alabama,” said Britt. “The home builders are dedicated to strengthening their respective local communities in every corner of Alabama. I am extremely grateful for their endorsement and will fight tirelessly to preserve the values that make our state great and work diligently to create opportunities for growth for the next generation of Alabamians. It is humbling to see the reaction that our Alabama First campaign is generating, and I look forward to continuing to bring this message directly to the people of Alabama. While the momentum we are experiencing is incredible, I know we are only just getting started.”
Sheriff Mike Blakely convicted on theft, ethics charges
A longtime Alabama sheriff has been removed from office, the attorney general’s office said, after jurors on Monday found him guilty of charges of theft and using his office for personal gain. News outlets report that jurors convicted Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakley of two counts but found him not guilty of eight others. After nearly 40 years in office, Blakely was escorted out of the courtroom by one of his own deputies and taken to the same jail that he oversaw as sheriff. He was not placed in handcuffs as he left the courtroom, news outlets reported. Chief Deputy Attorney General Clay Crenshaw said Blakely will be immediately removed from office on Monday because of the felony convictions. The two convictions relate to accusations that Blakely borrowed money from a jail safe used to hold inmates’ money and that he deposited $4,000 in campaign funds into his personal account. “The attorney general’s office is committed to ensuring the violators of the public trust be held accountable under the law,” Crenshaw said, reading a statement from the Alabama attorney general’s office. “Today Sheriff Blakely has been held to account for felony violations of the Alabama ethics law as well as a theft charge.” An attorney on Blakely’s defense team told reporters that they will “keep fighting.” “We will certainly appeal this decision today and look forward to having another day in court on this matter,” Mark McDaniel, an attorney on Blakey’s defense team, after hearing the verdict. Blakely, 70, took the stand during the trial to deny any wrongdoing. Initially elected in 1982, Blakely told jurors he sometimes put campaign funds into his personal account because his campaign treasurer lived hours away and encouraged him to deposit the money as reimbursement for campaign expenses. While testimony showed Blakely sometimes left IOUs and took money from a jail safe used to hold inmates’ money, he said that wasn’t a crime. Blakely didn’t deny gambling at casinos during trips to the Gulf Coast and Nevada for law enforcement conferences, but he said the outings didn’t cost taxpayers extra and denied accusations that an employee sent him money because he was broke from losses. Blakely was indicted in 2019, but the case was delayed several times because of reasons including the pandemic. “Public officials must set the highest example of accountability, and no matter how long someone holds office they are not above the law,” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said in a statement. “Sheriff Blakely repeatedly swore an oath to enforce and obey the law during his 40 years in office, and he now knows the consequences of violating that oath.” Blakely faces a possible prison sentence of between two and 20 years for each count. Sentencing will occur at a later date. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Donald Trump coming to Cullman August 21
Former President Donald Trump will hold a rally in Cullman, Alabama, on August 21. Save America, Trump’s political organization, announced the event Monday. The visit at York Family Farms comes on the same day the Alabama Republican Party will hold its summer meeting, also in Cullman, Alabama, AL.com reported. The president is set to speak at 7 p.m. More ticket information can be found on the Save America Website. GOP Chairman John Wahl said in a press release, “The Alabama Republican Party is thrilled that President Trump is coming to Alabama and holding a rally in conjunction with our annual Summer Meeting. We all know that there is a special relationship between President Trump and the people of Alabama, and I am incredibly excited to be part of bringing him back to our state. It has been an absolute pleasure working with the Trump Team since the end of February to make this visit possible. August 21st is going to be an exciting and memorable night for the State of Alabama.” Jim Zeigler, who is considering a 2022 run for governor, made a statement even before the event was announced, “President Trump has a special relationship with Alabama. This is where the Trump rallies started. I was there in August 2015 at the very first Trump stadium rally in Mobile, Alabama. I was blessed to be on the Trump platform. Donald Trump is generous with his time and influence to assist candidates of the people who challenge the RINOs (Republicans in name only) and the establishment swamp candidates. If the Trump speech in Cullman firms up, it may be the biggest thing to happen in Cullman, Alabama since the Ave Maria Grotto. I will be there.” Trump last attended a political event in Alabama in 2017 when he campaigned for Luther Strange in the U.S. Senate race in Huntsville.
Jerry Carl co-sponsors bill to give veterans free access to national parks passes House unanimously
Rep. Jerry Carl announced that he had cosponsored bipartisan legislation to give veterans and Gold Star families lifetime free access to national parks, ALreporter.com reported. The bill has passed the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously. “Our service members and Gold Star Families have paid the ultimate sacrifice to keep our country safe and secure, so it’s critical we do everything we can to support them and show them our gratitude,” Carl stated. “I’m proud to support this bipartisan legislation to provide free annual America the Beautiful passes to current military service members, veterans, and Gold Star Families so they can gain free access to all our national parks and public lands.” The Alexander Lofgren Veterans in Parks (VIP) Act is led by Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, and Ruben Gallego. The Act aims to recognize that our active-duty service members, veterans, and Gold Star Families should be treated like VIPs in national parks and on our public lands. In 2020, the Trump administration made America the Beautiful passes free for all veterans and Gold Star families. By passing this law, it will continue the benefit. The Pass provides access to over 2,000 federal recreation areas, including national parks, national forests, and wildlife refuges. The act will convert those passes into lifetime passes. It will also create annual passes for active-duty military members that can be converted into lifetime passes once they leave the military. Gallego commented on Twitter, “Today, the House passed my and @RepMMM’s Veterans in Parks Act, a bill to provide veterans & Gold Star families with free lifetime passes to federal public lands and national parks. Our veterans fought to protect these lands – they should be able to enjoy them too.”
Josh Carnley announces run for State Senate
Republican Coffee County Commissioner Josh Carnley announced he will run for State Senate District 31. The Ino, Alabama native is an owner and President of SanBuck Insurance, which provides personal, commercial, and agricultural insurance throughout Alabama and Florida. He also farms cotton, peanuts, corn, and beef cattle. Carnley and his wife, the former Valerie Presley from Opp, have been happily married for 18 years. They have three children: daughter Presley, 15; daughter Stella, 12; and son John Matthew, 9. Carnley stated, “I have a strong conservative record as a Coffee County Commissioner. I fight every day for the things that make America great. I would like to thank Senator Holley for his service to our area, and his long and storied career. I’m going to continue to be a voice for Coffee, Covington, Dale, and Pike Counties.” “I’m from a little place called Ino. It’s a speck on the map, but when you add up these small towns, you get a mass of people who love and value their way of life,” Carnley continued. “I intend to be a voice for fiscal responsibility, economic growth, our children’s education, support for our military, and freedom from the burden of government. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that our freedoms are fragile – we need state officials who will fight for freedom, not yield to the tyranny of government.” Senator Jimmy Holley announced he will retire after this term. Senate District 31 currently encompasses all of Coffee, Covington, and Pike Counties, and the northern 2/3 of Dale County. Holley has held the office since 1998. He served 5 terms in the Alabama House of Representatives.
