Black Warrior Riverkeeper
Black Warrior Riverkeeper is a non-profit environmental group formed as part of the national "Waterkeeper Alliance" in order to patrol and protect the Black Warrior River watershed. It was founded in Fall 2001 by David Whiteside and Roger Conville. The current Executive Director is Brantley Fry. The position of "Riverkeeper" is held by Nelson Brooke, who acts as the primary patroller and spokesperson for the group. Other staff include chief prosecutor and general counsel Mark Martin, legal program coordinator John Kinney, and director of development Charles Scribner IV. The groups offices are located at 712 37th Street South in Avondale.
The Board of Directors consists of J. David Tidwell (president), Gordon Black, Rob Brewer, Mike Cowan, James Lowery, Eugenia McWilliams, M. Clay Ragsdale, William Kent Upshaw, and Randy Watts.
The Black Warrior Riverkeeper was named "Organization of the Year" for 2006 by the Alabama Rivers Alliance.
Legal actions
Black Warrior Riverkeeper has filed notices of intent to sue several polluters under the provisions of the Federal Clean Water Act. In many cases, their actions have prompted regulatory actions by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), at which point Black Warrior Riverkeeper intervenes to ensure diligent prosecution. In all, the group has documented over 11,000 individual violations since 2002 and has helped to successfully force compliance with the Clean Water Act in a number of cases.
Industries which have been threatened by legal action by Black Warrior Riverkeeper include:
External links
- Black Warrior Riverkeeper website