Wed Dec 31 13:40:00 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text, followed by a rewritten version as a news article:
Summary:
Inside Climate News, a non-profit news organization, is seeking donations to continue its climate coverage in 2026. They are currently offering a 3x donation match for a limited time. An investigative report by ICN focuses on the threat of coal ash waste from Alabama Power to the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, a vital ecosystem in Alabama. The report highlights the potential for a catastrophic coal ash spill, similar to the 2008 Kingston, Tennessee disaster, and Alabama Power’s continued storage of toxic coal ash in unlined pits near waterways. Despite federal regulations and environmental concerns, Alabama Power’s plans, approved by the state, involve capping the waste in place, a practice disputed by both environmental groups and federal regulators. The article also points to Alabama Power’s resistance to renewable energy and continued investment in fossil fuels, raising concerns about environmental and economic consequences for Alabamians.
News Article:
Alabama’s “American Amazon” at Risk: Report Exposes Coal Ash Threat from Alabama Power
BUCKS, Ala. – A new investigation by Inside Climate News (ICN) reveals the looming threat of toxic coal ash waste to Alabama’s Mobile-Tensaw Delta, a biodiversity hotspot often called the “American Amazon.” The report highlights Alabama Power’s practice of storing over 117 million tons of coal sludge in unlined pits near waterways, raising concerns about potential environmental disaster.
The investigation focuses on the James M. Barry Electric Generating Plant, where 21 million tons of coal ash are held back from the Mobile River by earthen dikes. Environmentalists and federal regulators fear a breach could lead to a catastrophic spill, inundating the delta with toxic sludge, similar to the 2008 Kingston, Tennessee disaster.
“If [the delta] is flooded with ash, it would be polluting forever,” says Cade Kistler, leader of Mobile Baykeeper, an environmental nonprofit.
Despite a 2015 federal regulation tightening coal waste storage restrictions, Alabama Power’s plans, approved by the state, involve capping the waste in place, a practice disputed by the EPA which denied the state’s plan in May 2024. Critics argue this approach inadequately protects groundwater from contamination.
The report also points to Alabama Power’s resistance to renewable energy and recent purchase of a natural gas plant, raising concerns about the company’s commitment to fossil fuels.
“Alabama Power admits that a lot of the coal ash is going to be left in contact with groundwater under their closure plan,” said Barry Brock, with the Southern Environmental Law Center.
David Bronner, CEO of the Retirement Systems of Alabama, calls the Plant Barry coal ash pond “a huge environmental bomb.”
Inside Climate News provides its climate coverage free of charge and relies on donations from readers.
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