BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — An environmental group says the tornadoes that devastated Alabama during the spring show that a state with a spotty record can make progress toward recycling and protecting its streams and forests.
Environmentalists often criticize Alabama for what they consider lax enforcement of clean air and water standards, but the Homewood-based Green Resource Center says the twister cleanup and recovery are bright spots on the state's record.
A new report by the group praises environmentally friendly policies adopted amid the rebuilding in tornado-ravaged Tuscaloosa, and it says more than 90 percent of the tornado debris in Birmingham was recycled.
The report says the recycling saved landfill space and avoided air pollution linked with incineration while injecting about $2 million into the area economy and providing a new model for debris removal.
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