State lawmakers push to strip toxic pollution protections for water and air across Alabama

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Today a Senate committee will hold a hearing on the first of two bills that aim to rollback protections against toxic water and air pollution across the state.  SB71 and HB 162 would revert toxic standards back to harmful levels, effectively strip the state of its authority to set its own rules for water and air quality, and not require the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) to use a federal health tool that assesses toxic pollution risk.

You can stream the Senate committee hearing on the bill here.

In response, Sarah Stokes, a senior attorney in SELC’s Alabama office, released the following statement:

Our lawmakers are attempting to strip away our right to choose the best way to manage Alabama’s natural resources. These pieces of legislation ignore common sense and basic decency to keep air and water safe for our children and grandchildren. The federal government’s pollution standards should be the floor, not the ceiling. Creating pollution rules that make sense for Alabama—not Washington D.C.—is fundamental not just for protecting our beautiful rivers, but for our families.