The Greene County Democrat

Tag: Alabama Department of Public Health

  • No Dumping in Greene County

    Illegal trash dumping is the improper disposal of waste in locations where it’s not permitted, often in public areas or on private property without the owner’s consent. This includes dumping trash in alleys, dumpsters, vacant lots, or open spaces. Illegal dumping can have negative impacts on the environment, public health, and property values. 

    To stop littering and illegal dumping, focus on preventing it, educating the public, and implementing effective solutions. This includes increasing trash and recycling bins, providing convenient waste disposal options, and promoting responsible waste management practices around Greene County and in the industrial park.

    The Eutaw Chamber of Commerce and other agencies in the county have organized and hosted annual clean up days to promote awareness through education campaigns to educate the public about the negative impacts of littering and the importance of responsible waste disposal and  engage residents in litter prevention efforts. 

    Enforce littering ordinances:
    In an effort to enforce existing laws against littering and to deter unwanted behavior the Greene County IDA has installed cameras on the property. There are signs warning against illegal dumping. The IDA is working in partnership with the Alabama Department of Public Health to enforce fines and imprisonment to deter this behavior. 

    STATE OF ALABAMA LAW CRIMINAL LITTER
    Ala. Code 13A-7-29 (1975). The State of Alabama’s law on criminal littering is very clear- anyone who knowingly deposits in any manner litter on any public or private property or in any public or private waters without permission to do so… It goes on to say that litter bearing  the name of a person shall constitute a rebuttal presumption that the person whose name appears on the material knowingly deposited the litter.

    Criminal littering is a class B misdemeanor. The fine for the first conviction shall be up to $500. The punishment for the second and any subsequent conviction shall include either a fine of up to $1000 and up to 100 hours of community service and the form of picking up literal along highways, roads, streets, public right away, public sidewalks, public walkways, or public waterways or by a fan of not less than $2000 and not more than $3000.

    It is the full intent of the Greene County IDA to enforce the state law with the assistance of the Alabama Department of Public Health.  For purposes of this article, 3 people have been identified as breaking this law in the Crossroads of America Port and Park. A thorough investigation is underway to determine the person who knowingly dumped food service trash in the industrial park. All three have been contacted by certified first class mail. One person has paid the fine. The other two parties have received a second notice. Their failure to respond to the second notice has forced the IDA to turn this matter over to the legal authorities. Thus their fine will be 10 times more than originally assessed.

     

  • Newswire : Trump DOJ ends plan for Alabama county’s sewage crisis over ‘distorting, DEI lens’

     

    Raw sewage next to children’s playground in Lowndes County, Alabama

    By Margaret Kates | mkates@al.com

    The U.S. Department of Justice ended its agreement with the State of Alabama regarding sewage in Lowndes County. 

    “The DOJ will no longer push ‘environmental justice’ as viewed through a distorting, DEI lens,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon in a news release. “President Trump made it clear: Americans deserve a government committed to serving every individual with dignity and respect, and to expending taxpayer resources in accordance with the national interest, not arbitrary criteria.” 
    Under President Joe Biden, the federal government opened two investigations into sanitation issues in the Black Belt and specifically Lowndes County. Residents of those counties frequently lack proper sanitation and some resorted to “straight piping” sewage into the ground. 

    In 2023, the DOJ reached a settlement agreement with the Alabama Department of Public Health, agreeing to suspend investigation of possible civil rights violations in exchange for the department of health implementing significant changes, including suspending criminal penalties for improper sanitation and assessing possible wastewater or septic systems in the area. 

    But now the DOJ is terminating that agreement, effective immediately, according to the news release. 
    “The federal Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services have terminated their Interim Resolution Agreement with the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) regarding sanitation concerns in Lowndes County,” Ryan Easterling, a spokesperson for ADPH, said in an email. “The installation of sanitation systems and related infrastructure is outside the authority or responsibilities conferred upon ADPH by state law. Nonetheless, ADPH will continue working with subgrantees on installation of septic systems as contemplated by the Interim Resolution Agreement until appropriated funding expires. After that time, ADPH will support and be available to provide technical assistance to other organizations that may choose to engage in this work.”
    “Resilient and sustainable sanitation is a problem in rural communities across the U.S.,” said Catherine Coleman Flowers, Lowndes County native and founder of the Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice. “The people of Lowndes County exposed this issue to the American public. I pray that today’s action means that this administration will make sanitation a priority for all who are affected throughout rural America.”
    U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) released the following statement in response to the Department of Justice’s termination of the environmental justice agreement in Lowndes County:
    “This agreement had nothing to do with DEI. It was about addressing a public health crisis that has forced generations of children and families to endure the health hazards of living in proximity to raw sewage, as the DOJ itself documented. By terminating it, the Trump Administration has put its blatant disregard for the health of my constituents on full display.
    “Access to adequate wastewater infrastructure is a basic human right. Without support from the Trump Administration, it is vital that the Alabama Department of Public Health continue to do its part to remedy this injustice. I will continue fighting to address Alabama’s rural wastewater crisis and get our communities the infrastructure they deserve.” 
    The termination comes as a result of President Donald Trump’s executive order, “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” which forbid federal agencies from pursuing programs related to “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” according to the news release.
    “Environmental justice,” a term used to describe disproportionate environmental threats to lower income or minority communities, would be considered “DEI” initiatives, according to the news release. 
    Under the direction of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, the DOJ is working to close cases like the Lowndes County case. 
    “Today’s closure is another step this administration has taken to eradicate illegal DEI preferences and environmental justice across the government and in the private sector,” according to the news release. 
    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency opened a second investigation related to sanitation in the Black Belt in 2023, when Biden was still in office. This investigation targets the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and whether the department discriminates against Black Belt residents when handing out grants as part of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. 

    The investigation followed a complaint filed by Flowers, who received the MacArthur “Genius” grant for her environmental activism. Flowers filed her complaint in partnership with the Natural Resources Defense Council.  It’s unclear how today’s announcement would affect this investigation. 
    President Trump has worked to end “environmental justice” initiatives since returning to office. Last month, the EPA closed its environmental justice and “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” offices at the direction of Trump. Top officials in the Justice Department froze civil rights litigation in the weeks following Trump’s return to office, according to the Associated Press. 

  • COVID-19 Vaccine Reach Greene County

    COVID-19 vaccine reaches Greene Co.
    On December 30, 2020, 15 doses of
    coronavirus vaccine reached Greene County for inoculation of medical and maintenance staff of the Greene County Health System. The vaccine was provided through the Alabama Department of
    Public Health. More vaccines are due in Greene County for the residents of the Nursing Home by Walgreens/Pharmerica. These shots are being scheduled now.
    Additional groups for vaccination will be alerted in priority order.