MOODY LANDFILL FIRE RECOVERY
Citizens of St. Clair County, Jefferson County, Shelby County, Blount County, and Talladega County in Alabama are currently suffering from the smoke and fumes created by a smoldering fire at a landfill near the town of Moody. This fire could burn for months.
An underground fire has been raging at an environmental landfill near the Birmingham, Alabama suburbs of Moody and Trussville, blanketing surrounding counties and communities with smoke and causing residents to worry about what they might be breathing in. Call our law firm now for a free consultation with an attorney to discuss your rights and discover whether you might have a claim.
UPDATE - January 19, 2023: After finding carcinogens in air samples, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken control of the landfill site and is now working to extinguish the fire as soon as possible.
December 22, 2022: The fire began in November 2022 at the Environmental Landfill, Inc. landfill facility on Annie Lee Road in St. Clair County. The fire continues to burn with no signs of stopping, and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) is working with local and state firefighting agencies on monitoring the fire and attempting to determine how to best extinguish it. In the meantime, smoke continues to discharge from the heavy fuels on top of the ground and from holes and cracks from the underground portion of the fire, and the smoke can be distinctly smelled for many miles in every direction. For those in communities closet to the landfill fire, the smoke has been unbearable.
According to the Moody Fire Department, the landfill is set up to take in natural debris such as leaves, limbs, trees, and shrubs, and is not permitted to take in other materials. However, ADEM has stated that unauthorized, non-vegetative solid waste was removed from the site during an enforcement action before the fire started. St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency is currently leading the efforts to control the fire, working with the Moody Fire Department, Alabama Forestry Commission, and ADEM. The Moody Fire Department has been keeping the public updated through the Moody Fire Department Facebook page.
ADEM has stated that extinguishing the fire, which is the cause of the smoke, is critical. However, they've cautioned that the fire will be difficult to extinguish due to underground burning and the serious safety hazards presented for workers and responding personnel. ADEM has suggested residents consider taking the following steps to avoid or limit possible effects from the smoke:
Residents in communities in close proximity to the fire who have been negatively impacted by the smoke are urged to contact our law firm for more information.
USEFUL LINKS
- Moody Fire Department Facebook Page
- AL.com: "Landfill fire near Birmingham still burning 28 days later. Now what?" (12/23/2022)
- AL.com: "Archibald: ADEM knew years ago Moody landfill was a threat" (12/28/2022)
- WBRC.com: "ADEM monitoring the Moody landfill fire" (12/28/2022)
- AL.com: "Residents near Alabama landfill fire demand more from 'the ADEM people'" (01/06/2023)
- AL.com: "Moody landfill fire likely 'a crime scene,' top county official says" (01/10/23)
- WBRC.com: "Concerns over putting out Moody Landfill fire" (01/15/23)
- AL.com: "Alabama calls on EPA to fight landfill fire burning for 7 weeks" (01/18/23)
- WVTM 13 NBC: "Lawsuit filed against ADEM Director, burning landfill operators" (01/25/23)
- AL.com: "ADEM: Alabama landfill fire shows 'no discernible impact' on water quality" (02/05/23)
- WBHM.org: "A months-long landfill fire in Alabama reveals waste regulation gaps" (03/13/23)
- AL.com: "Before the fire: How Alabama ignored warning signs at the Moody landfill" (03/27/23)
- Olivia Hall and Annie Foreman: "Up In Smoke" - A film about the Moody landfill fire (05/2023)
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