ADM: 160 release notifications in recent quarters; EPA cleaned a mercury spill that cost ~$200,000

Grady Springer, chief of the Office of Emergency Response, gave the Alabama Department of Environmental Management’s recent incident metrics and case studies.

"We had a total of 160 release notifications that came into us," Springer said, adding that ADM provided on‑site technical oversight to 58 incidents and typically supports local responders and responsible parties to ensure environmental remediation.

Springer described a Coleman County mercury incident in which a resident spilled two tablespoons of elemental mercury, used a household vacuum and broom to clean it up, and later developed elevated mercury levels; EPA was brought in to remediate two homes and the cleanup cost about $200,000. He emphasized that no statewide front‑end removal program exists for orphan mercury and that removal before a spill is far cheaper than post‑spill cleanup.

Springer also summarized an unpermitted tire‑dump fire in Cab County, estimated at roughly 30,000 tires over about 1.5 acres. The smoke plume was visible up to 10 miles and EPA set up continuous air monitoring overnight for surrounding residents; the fire’s smoke affected thousands of nearby residents and required coordinated forestry and federal assistance.