Mike Hubbard: New standards protect Alabama’s water and jobs

MIKE HUBBARD
GUEST COLUMNIST
Published: March 3, 2008

To say Alabama is on a roll when it comes to creating new jobs would be a gross understatement.

The most recent victory for Gov. Bob Riley and his award-winning economic development team came just two days ago when it was announced that Alabama, specifically the port city of Mobile, had been selected for a lucrative multibillion-dollar Air Force contract. The project, anchored by companies Northrop Grumman and EADS, will build refueling tankers, create 2,000 jobs and pump and estimated $30 billion to $40 billion into the state’s economy during the next 10 to 15 years.

This tremendous victory for the Republican governor, his administration and the people of Alabama, comes on the heels of the German steelmaker ThyssenKrupp picking our state to build the largest non-public project in the history of the United States — an addition of 2,700 new jobs when fully operational.

These latest mega-projects, coupled with scores of other impressive new job-creating companies, many of which are here in Auburn and Opelika, are the reason Alabama’s economy is currently outperforming most other states. It is obvious that Alabama must continue to recruit new industries and make certain we remain an attractive state for businesses to locate, expand and create jobs.

At the same time, it is imperative that we protect our natural resources and Alabama’s citizens, and there is nothing more critical than our water. It is a tedious balance to be sure, but Alabama, under Republican leadership, is succeeding at both.

Recently the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), the state’s environmental regulatory agency, released for public notice their intention to implement new surface water quality standards that some have said may decrease the chance of cancer-causing carcinogens in our streams and lakes.

It is important to point out that ADEM went above and beyond what was required by the federal government’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the new standards, but at the same time was careful to not be punitive to business and industry. Therefore, ADEM’s proposal balances the needs for a safe and clean environment, specifically as it relates to water quality, without a significant cost to our state’s industry.

As much credit as Gov. Riley deserves for being the most prolific creator of jobs the state has ever known, he and his ADEM director and commission members also deserve credit for proposing such stringent standards for water quality. If the new standard proposed last December is adopted, ADEM’s proposal would allow a risk of cancer in 1 in 1 million people, down from the current allowance of 1 in 100,000.

Clearly, the state of Alabama adopting a water quality standard that reduces the risk of cancer is a good thing.

It is also important to make certain there is not a major economic burden placed on any entity that creates jobs, which serve as the engine for Alabama’s economy.

It appears that ADEM’s water quality standard currently under consideration would accomplish both goals.

Rep. Mike Hubbard (R-Auburn) represents District 79 in the Alabama House of Representatives and is the House Minority Leader. He also serves as Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party.