Communities differ about proposed mine - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.

Proposed plans for a coal mine are exposing new concerns about Birmingham's drinking water.  A group is claiming the mine could pollute drinking water for 200,000 people.

Protesting with chants and signs, some residents in Dovertown near Cordova in Walker County are against the proposed mine that would be built on an old plywood industrial site on Plywood Plant Road.

The proposed mine would have 23 dump sites in the Mulberry Fork Bend of the Black Warrior River. 

The Mulberry Fork Bend and its tributaries are a primary intake spot for the Birmingham Water Works Board, according to the Black Warrior Riverkeeper.

The Alabama Department of Environmental Management had a public hearing Thursday night to hear comments from people for and against the mine.  Adam Johnston opposes the mine because his family lives on an old coal mine site and he knows first-hand what mining can do to the land and nearby water.

"My family lives on an old, reclaimed site," said Johnston, "We use well water and the water is said to be unfit to drink but we drink it anyway because we have no other choice."

If the Alabama Department of Environmental Management grants a permit to Reed Minerals for Mine Number Five, Nelson Brooke with the Black Warrior Riverkeeper is worried it will pollute drinking water for all of Birmingham. "Downtown Birmingham, northern parts of the greater Birmingham area, Southside, and then out to the south and southwest of Birmingham," said Brooke.

But Joe Love who has worked in coal mining for 40 years told a crowd Thursday night no one has ever gotten sick from drinking mine water.

"ADEM sees that any discharge meets a certain standard," said Love, "Water samples are taken out of the basins and if it's not in compliance they can get it into compliance."

Love says he supports the mine because it will bring economic development to the area.

"Good insurance, good pay scales, an upstanding standard of living.  It's a top paying job," said Love.

Because Thursday night's meeting was just a public hearing, no action was taken.  ADEM says it will review all public comments before issue a ruling.

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