In Tuesday’s edition of The Crimson White, the Office of Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) published a booklet introducing the “Bama Goes Blue” program. The booklet highlighted the University’s Stormwater Management Plan and educated the reader about the need for everyone’s participation in keeping storm water, and subsequently the Black Warrior River, free of pollutants and hazardous materials.

While this publication by EHS is valuable because it points out how people’s actions impact the environment, it illustrates the University’s vulnerability on the issue of the Shepherd Bend mine. As the Director of EHS stated in his letter, published in the booklet, “Nothing is more critical to the continuance of our quality of life than protection of our local bodies of water.”

If this is really how the University feels, why will they not speak up about the mine?  Obviously, they feel strongly enough about water quality to seek to decrease pollution levels in the University’s own storm water discharge by telling students how to help. However, they apparently do not feel as strongly about the drinking water quality for over 200,000 residents in and around the Birmingham area.

The administration and the UA system hide behind a veil of silence on every issue affecting students or the public (tuition/fee increases and policy changes being just two examples).  It is time that they live up to their motto and “touch lives” in a positive way in Alabama by denying the leasing rights to the Shepherd Bend Mine as it is currently proposed.

Lane Morrison is a graduate student in civil engineering.