SELC

08/31/2026

Alabama is one of the most biodiverse states in the U.S. Here's 5 environmental issues you need to know about in Alabama.

1️⃣ The Plant Barry coal ash lawsuit will move forward

Federal Appeals Court has overturned the dismissal of a lawsuit challenging Alabama Power’s plan to leave over 21 million tons of toxic coal ash in unlined pits on the bank of the Mobile River. The case now will continue in the lower court, giving the people of coastal Alabama a chance to fight against the ongoing pollution in their community.

2️⃣ Controversial quarry commits to operational changes in Consent Order as part of settlement with Belle Mina community members

The quarry landowners and operator agreed to permanent changes at the limestone quarry site in order to reduce impacts to the surrounding community, including reducing operating hours, creating buffer zones, and paving dusty haul roads to provide relief from noise, constant air pollution, heavy dump truck traffic and sleepless nights.

3️⃣ A seasonal waterfowl sanctuary will be established in north Alabama

The Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Decatur is creating a waterfowl sanctuary to serve thousands of wintering geese, ducks, cranes, and other birds during winter migration, closing a one-mile stretch of road from November to February to reduce human disturbance.

4️⃣ New report casts serious doubt on proposed $5.2 billion pipeline expansion.

Two massive pipeline projects have been proposed in the Southeast, potentially bringing 500 miles of new pipe and many expanded or new polluting compressor stations across Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. A recent report found little evidence to support the alleged need for the costly and harmful projects.

5️⃣ State lawmakers sign controversial environmental regulation bill into law

Governor Kay Ivey signed legislation restricting the state’s ability to set environmental regulations, creating a federal ceiling effect. SB71 and HB 162 will keep toxic standards at harmful levels, stripping the state’s ability to set its own rules for water and air quality.

08/27/2026

Residents and environmental groups are sounding the alarm on a data center in South Carolina’s Spartanburg County after secrecy and a series of illegal actions shrouded the true size and nature of the project from the local community.

When first announced, the Spartanburg County Council, the South Carolina governor, and the developer touted the $2.8 billion “game changer” project’s future job and economic growth. At the time, the project was vaguely called a “computing facility,” and proponents were clear: This is not a data center.

But once the full picture emerged, intense resistance sparked, and it has remained strong ever since. Last week, SELC filed a motion for a preliminary injunction in this case to stop construction on the data center’s power plant until the lawsuit is resolved.

Read the full story for details on SELC’s legal actions regarding the project: https://selc.link/4d51OmC

Photo by Ben Gray

08/26/2026

North Carolina is taking a major step toward making housing affordable by ending mandatory parking minimums for new development.

For years, parking requirements have driven up the cost of housing and required valuable land to be dedicated to parking, even when that parking isn't needed. Parking spaces can cost thousands to build – costs that are ultimately passed on through higher housing prices, rent, and other expenses. This change gives communities and developers more flexibility to build housing that works for the people living there.

By allowing more flexibility to determine how much parking a project actually needs, North Carolina can make better use of land, reduce unnecessary paving, and help bring down development costs.

It's a win for more affordable housing, smarter land use, and more walkable, sustainable communities across the state.

Image by Phuong Tran

08/25/2026

Cumberland County, Virginia is at a crossroads.

Dominion Energy wants to build a massive new methane gas plant, and its own plans show that this polluting powerhouse is being built to supply energy to data centers.

The proposed Cumberland Energy Center would generate roughly 3,000 megawatts of electricity — that’s enough to power up to 750,000 homes and would make this one of the largest gas plants in the country.

To build it, the utility needs the Cumberland Board of Supervisors (BOS) to grant a conditional use permit (CUP), and it will also need the Cumberland Planning Commission (or the BOS, on appeal) to determine that the project is “substantially in accord” with the county’s comprehensive plan — the blueprint for the county’s growth and development adopted on behalf of the county’s residents.

By proposing a massive industrial facility in an area the comprehensive plan designates for rural and agricultural uses, this project directly contradicts that plan. The plan even states that a new industrial project should not be built in a rural area unless the county first amends the plan to allow it.

Going through that that process would give residents and decision-makers more time to askand get answers to the questions that matter, like: What would this huge gas plant mean for our air, water, climate, and communities and who will really pay the price for the data center boom?

08/21/2026

For decades, some of the South’s wildest public lands have been safeguarded by a critical Forest Service policy called the Roadless Rule. These roadless areas boast world-famous hiking and mountain biking trails, contribute clean drinking water for downstream communities, provide habitat for wildlife, and support local economies that depend on our public lands.

But now, the U.S. Forest Service is finalizing a proposal to get rid the Roadless Rule — a reckless move that would open these iconic places up to unnecessary roadbuilding, harmful development, and destructive logging.

Rescinding the Roadless Rule would do long-term damage to communities that rely on public lands, leave permanent scars on our landscapes, and rob future generations of the opportunity to hike, mountain bike, fish, and enjoy the South’s natural treasures.

Help us fight for our wildest forests by telling the Forest Service to drop its misguided effort to get rid of the Roadless Rule.

08/20/2026

State and federal regulators need to do their job and ensure proper, public scrutiny and transparency of these data centers and related fossil fuel infrastructure that could fundamentally alter our grid, power bills, and environment so that they serve the public rather than the interests of some of richest, most powerful corporations and utilities in the world.

08/17/2026

We're well into a scorching summer here in the South and rising energy costs are top of mind for many Southerners. Lots of people are having to make the hard choice between paying for medicine, food, rent, and keeping the cold air on.

08/14/2026

Attend the Sustainable Fleet Technology Conference & Expo from August 25-27 in Durham, North Carolina, and connect with the leaders driving the future of clean transportation.

Bringing together top fleets and technology providers, the event highlights breakthrough technologies, cleaner vehicles, and emerging trends transforming the industry. Featuring a robust lineup of educational sessions focused on data-driven tools and decision-making, the conference provides practical insights to help fleets:

—Improve efficiency,
—Boost resilience,
—Cut emissions, and
—Lower operating expenses.

Register now: https://selc.link/4fKMKfY

08/13/2026

Alabama’s natural treasures are too valuable to sacrifice for short-term economic gains. That’s columnist John Archibald’s message in al.com.

Read about his day on the Coosa River — once named the fifth most endangered river in America — to learn how it's grappling with PCBs, coal ash, and now a graphite mine proposed in the watershed. And why it’s critical to continue pushing for clean rivers and a healthy environment.

“It is easy, sometimes, to feel the wonder in places like this and forget that they need us,” Archibald writes. “It is easy to forget that we need them.”

“We have to fight for it like it’s our backyard."

08/12/2026

Indigenous communities in Virginia have lived, traveled, traded, and gathered along a stretch of the James River for more than 13,000 years.

Now the state’s tribal nations are united in opposing a massive development that could transform the site — believed to be the birthplace of Chief Powhatan and one of the Commonwealth’s most significant Indigenous cultural landscapes — with thousands of housing units and commercial buildings.

Tribal leaders are calling for stronger protections, arguing that the land holds irreplaceable archaeological, cultural, and environmental connections that remain vital to native communities today.

Preservation Virginia recently named the site as one of Virginia’s most endangered places of 2026, which helps pave the way for securing new protections.

Katie Orlinsky photographed members of Virginia tribes as they came together to celebrate the new designation and advocate for saving their ancestral lands.

Learn more at powhatanbirthplace.org.