MONTGOMERYEnvironmental groups urged the state Thursday to allow spoken comment from the public before making decisions about pollution.
"It's time people have a chance to speak at the Alabama Department of Environmental Management about things that affect their lives and their health," said Peggie Griffen, conservation organizer for the Alabama Sierra Club.
The Environmental Management Commission, which oversees ADEM, heard from residents Thursday who want it to change its rules to allow a portion of each meeting for oral public comment. Currently, public comment on water permits is taken in writing, and people may only speak about permits in front of the commission when there's enough interest for a special hearing, or on appeal.
The EMC will vote for a public comment period at its June 25 meeting or in August.
Allowing people to talk to commission members during their meetings would bring the public closer to state regulators, who make decisions that affect waterways, quarries and power plants, said ADEM spokesman Scott Hughes.
"The department has always been willing to support public comment," Hughes said. "It's definitely going to open it to certain issues which aren't open at this time."
The proposal before the commission still would prohibit comment about items on the commission's current agenda or pollution permits that may be appealed. Also, people who want to speak must give two weeks notice, and the EMC can exclude anyone it wants from commenting at its meetings.
"We may get to speak, we may not get to speak. It's kind of wishy-washy," said Adam Snyder of the Alabama River Alliance. "It is very often a closed-door process. Open up the doors and allow citizens to be part of the process."
About 15 people from various environmental groups carried signs saying, "ADEM needs to listen to the public" and "Right to speak." Most of them supported the rule changes but wanted even more access, without any conditions.
ADEM already allows people to give feedback on its actions, just not directly before the commission at its regularly scheduled meetings, said Marilyn Elliott, deputy director of ADEM.
"Clearly the existing combination of formal and informal input should not be overlooked when considering a proposed rule change," Elliott said at the hearing. "The department encourages the avoidance of any additional procedures that would be duplicative in nature.
