FAIRHOPE, Ala.– Twenty-one million tons of toxic cancer-causing sludge sit on the side of Mobile River. The Coal Ash Action Group is an awareness organization working to fight this impending threat, and it is their mission to ensure that everyone in Baldwin and Mobile Counties understand the consequences this pollution could have on the area.
Approximately 25 miles north of Mobile sits the Barry Electrical Generating Plant. In the same location lies a pit filled with waste known as coal ash, a toxic by-product of coal burned in power plants. This sludge contains heavy metals such as arsenic, cobalt, lead, selenium and cadmium.
The pit is also unlined, which means the waste is slowly seeping into and contaminating the groundwater of that area. A simple dike, or levee-like structure made of dirt, is all that prevents the contents of the pond from spilling out into the Mobile River, Tensaw Delta and eventually Mobile Bay.
Sarah “Sallie” Crosby Smith, founded Coal Ash Action with only three members before she passed away in October of 2023. Savan Wilson and Diane Thomas are the remaining original members.
Thomas, original researcher of the group, described the effects of a potential coal ash breach. “It’s not something that just gets dispersed. Very shortly, it would begin to flow down our rivers. It would flow down the Tensaw River within a week before reaching Mobile Bay,” Thomas said. “According to Dr. Bronner, who is head of the [Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA)], when it reaches the bay, it will go into the silt or the bottom. You can scoop up what’s on top of the water, but most of it will sink down, and it will pollute the Bay for decades.”
If a breach in the coal ash pond occurred, it would not only have consequential environmental effects, but also economic challenges. Industries that many Baldwin and Mobile County residents rely on, such as fishing, recreation and tourism, would be negatively impacted due to the amount of pollution that would seep into Mobile Bay.
In August 2024, a film called “Sallie’s Ashes” premiered at the Telluride Film Festival. This 41- minute documentary features Smith’s ambition after being diagnosed with stage four liver cancer: to prevent coal ash from entering into Mobile Bay. She had wanted to pick a social problem to dedicate the rest of her life to, and decided on an awareness campaign. As of 2023, the Coal Ash Action group had over 900 members.
“Alabama Power has a deadline for doing something with this ash. They’ve already partnered with a company to begin recycling it, and that company estimates that they can recycle 97 to 98 percent. However, the deadline doesn’t allow for that. So, we say to Alabama Power, ‘get an extension of your deadline; recycle everything you possibly can,’” Thomas said.
Thomas also said the website, MoveTheAsh.com, contains the email addresses of the state legislatures and of Alabama Power, which owns Plant Barry. Those who wish to support the movement can send a letter to voice their concerns this way.
