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Cook Springs residents press county to review Dollar General permitting, wetlands and tunnel safety
Summary
A Cook Springs resident told the Saint Clair County work session that the Dollar General site at Mountaintop Loop and US‑78 was filled before proper federal permits, citing Army Corps and EPA involvement and asking the county to produce floodplain and permitting records. Commissioners agreed to gather documents and have the county attorney review the timeline and county actions.
Nancy Fincher, speaking as a Cook Springs resident, urged the commission to scrutinize the near‑complete Dollar General at Mountaintop Loop Road and U.S. Highway 78, saying the project raised environmental and public‑safety concerns. “My name is Nancy Fincher, and I come before you today as a citizen of the greater Cook Springs community to express serious concerns regarding the Dollar General retail store nearing completion at the intersection of Mountaintop Loop Road and US Highway 78,” she said, citing records and a March 5, 2024 consent agreement that she said allowed the developer to retain unauthorized wetland fill after paying penalties.
Fincher told commissioners she had obtained Army Corps of Engineers and Alabama Department of Environmental Management notices and said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had alleged Clean Water Act violations tied to the site. She also raised questions about the on‑site sewage system (permit 33839, issued Jan. 8) and told the commission that a small‑flow septic system for a high‑traffic retail store “requires constant maintenance and regular servicing” and raised the risk that failures would affect neighbors.
Commissioners acknowledged limits to county authority—public health and certain permitting fall under state agencies—but said they would compile any county records and have the county attorney review whether the county met its floodplain and permitting responsibilities. Chair (speaker 1) said staff and the county attorney would provide the documents to Fincher and report back; county attorney Kirk Walker (speaker 9) noted citizens’ records requests will be honored if records exist. The commission did not take a formal vote during the work session; staff said follow‑up and potential agenda items will be scheduled for the next commission meeting.
Why it matters: Residents flagged potential environmental and traffic risks where the county lacks direct permitting authority; the commission’s review will determine whether the county followed its own procedures and whether additional, local mitigations or enforcement steps are needed.
