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Healthier drinking water?

Alabama’s struggles ridding drinking water of so-called “forever chemicals” has seen some spotty progress, and more systems are working on improvements, reports AL.com’s Dennis Pillion.

Dennis previously reported on new EPA limits for PFAS. That stands for “per- and polyfluroalkyl substances,” chemicals that resist heat, oil, grease and stains and are used in products such as non-stick cookware and stain-resistant fabric. They were created in the lab to last, and that’s the problem — they are believed to take thousands of years to break down. Meantime, they get into the ground and are carried by groundwater into drinking-water sources. They build up in fish, wildlife and folks, and have been linked to a host of health issues.

The EPA changed its standard for two of the most common forever chemicals from 70 parts per trillion to 4 parts per trillion. The Alabama Department of Environmental Management welcomed the stricter standards, putting Montgomery and Washington on the same side, along with anyone in Alabama who’s prone to get thirsty.

Many water systems in Alabama have tested at least once above 4 parts per trillion in tests since 2020. But work’s being done in filtering and in courtrooms.

For example, Guin Water Works has since settled a pollution lawsuit with chemical-maker 3M Corporation and built a carbon filter plant, and now manager Terri Dennis says its water is testing at zero.

Several water systems are in court with PFAS-producing companies, including 3M, to try to get them to pay for their filtration systems. Federal grant money is also been budgeted for the issue, which stretches far beyond Alabama.

Incidentally, PFAS filtration systems for homes are also available.

Tuskegee pilot training

Moton Field in Tuskegee will be the home to a future LIFT Academy pilot training school, reports AL.com’s William Thornton.

Republic Airways made the announcement Wednesday morning with Gov. Kay Ivey present. The company said LIFT Academy will be investing $27 million into the program, and it’ll mean 35 full-time aviation jobs over three years and involve 57 certified flight instructors.

The site is notable in aviation history as the training ground of the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II fame.

Gear up, sportsmen and sportswomen

We have sales tax holidays for severe-weather preparedness and back-to-school. Lawmakers would like to have one for sporting goods, too.

AL.com’s Mike Cason reports that the Alabama House of Representatives has passed a bill that would create a sales-tax holiday for sports, hunting, fishing, boating and camping gear.

It passed the House unanimously but won’t take effect unless another bill is passed that would raise the sales-tax rate for online purchases.

The tax-holiday bill is from Republican Joe Lovvorn of Auburn; the online tax hike is from Democrat Chris England of Tuscaloosa.

More legislative news

• A Senate committee rejected a measure that would’ve made police bodycam footage public record.
• A House committee rejected the bill I mentioned yesterday that had a couple of ex-governors backing it — the one that would’ve done away with judicial override and resulted in the resentencing of Death Row inmates whose juries did not recommend the death penalty.
• Identical House and Senate bills were approved by committees that would change the deadline for parties to certify their candidates in order to allow for President Joe Biden to be on the November ballot.

By the Numbers

That’s the accumulative attendance in March for the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center Authority (BJCC), its best March ever. The highlights included two sold-out concerts by Zach Bryan at Legacy Arena and the Monster Jam at Protective Stadium.

More Alabama news

One the Calendar

Today is National Exercise Day.

It’s a good “holiday” to recognize. After all, we were created to hunt and gather. So unless we chased breakfast this morning, we probably ought to replace that with going for a job, or taking a hike, or doing the griddy to the fridge and back.

The podcast

Expert explainer Jonathan Sobolewski explains what Delta 8 is, why it’s legal in conservative Alabama, and what the biggest concerns are.

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