The Alabama Department of
Environmental Management (ADEM), our state agency entrusted to protect
Alabama’s environment, has broken that trust, but citizens from across the
state are working together to restore accountability.
WHAT IS ARC?
The ADEM Reform Coalition (ARC) was
founded in 2002 and now has 38 member organizations representing tens of
thousands of people from environmental, faith-based, environmental justice,
health, rural, consumer, homeowner and social justice groups. CRS was a
co-founder of ARC, serves this year as Central Alabama Membership Coordinator
for ARC, and is active daily on its leadership committee.
ARC aims to transform the Alabama
Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) into an agency with the
leadership, mission, resources and policies to protect Alabama’s environment,
safeguard human health, and pursue environmental justice
(see our “Blueprint for ADEM Reform”).
The 7-member Environmental Management Commission (EMC)
oversees ADEM, is supposed to set environmental policy for the state, and
hires/fires the Director of ADEM. In 2003/04 one of ARC’s main goals was to
get the EMC to do its job and hold the director accountable for improving the
agency.
In 2003 ARC member groups secured the right for the public to
speak at EMC meetings – a right we did not have before. We then organized
citizen presentations at every EMC meeting to illustrate how ADEM’s failings
are hurting people, communities and the environment and to ask the EMC for help.
Our stories inspired a drumbeat of media coverage throughout the state about
problems at the agency and the need for change. ARC gained EMC support for
creating an environmental justice ombudsman and establishing stronger
enforcement policies. In October
four courageous EMC members decided that new leadership is essential to improve
the agency and dismissed the long-term Director, Jim Warr.
Although Warr manipulated state laws to name himself
“Acting Director” and special interests sued two of the Environmental
Management Commissioners to retaliate for their votes to replace him, positive
leadership change has occurred. In early 2005 the EMC hired Trey Glenn as the
new Director, and Warr retired in the spring.
ARC produced a recommended ADEM Reform agenda for Mr. Glenn’s first 6
months.
NEW ADEM DIRECTOR
Mr. Glenn has thus far shown willingness to study ADEM’s
problems and consider solutions. Soon after he began work, he contacted Beth
Stewart, CRS’s Executive Director, and asked for a meeting with environmental
leaders to think through ways to improve the agency’s enforcement program.
Glenn has met 4 times with ARC leaders, spending significant time discussing our
and his perspective on why the enforcement program is failing and the specific,
feasible solutions that would ensure existing laws are enforced fairly, swiftly,
and consistently in a way that deters violations.
What remains to be seen is whether and how quickly
Glenn will bring long-awaited change to the agency.
We are at a crucial juncture in
ADEM reform. ARC’s priority
agenda for the coming year is to improve the agency’s enforcement;
institute an Environmental Justice Division at ADEM with policies and
legislation that will prevent any community from bearing a disproportionate
cumulative burden from multiple pollution sources;
and continue to strengthen agency leadership through the EMC. Two of the
sitting EMC members, Sanders and Wainwright, have expired terms. Both supported
the former director and ran an EMC that simply rubber-stamped ADEM actions. ARC
is working to encourage the Governor to appoint new commissioners who recognize
that ADEM has serious problems and who have the expertise, independence, and
commitment to change that is necessary to find solutions.
If your organization wants to join
ARC and fight for Alabama’s environment, contact Beth Stewart at beths@cahabariversociety.org
or 322-5326 x11.