A recent analysis of data reported by industry indicates that nearly ten million pounds of toxic chemicals were dumped into Alabama’s rivers in 2015. Over 50,000 pounds of those chemicals are carcinogens, and over a quarter million of them cause reproductive issues. The data was self-reported by industry to EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory, from which Coosa Riverkeeper analyzed the data to produce these rankings.
“Toxic chemicals in our rivers and lakes aren’t just bad for the fish. Most Alabamians get their drinking water from our rivers,” says Coosa Riverkeeper, Frank Chitwood. “Removing these toxic chemicals costs money that ultimately gets passed on to ratepayers. Clearly, our priorities are backwards. We should place a much higher priority on the protection of our drinking water.”
Read the full report on the Black Warrior Riverkeeper website.