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Residents urge Alabama regulators to halt Integra wastewater permit over Flint River risks
Summary
At an ADEM hearing, multiple residents and business owners urged the Alabama Department of Environmental Management to delay or deny a permit for a proposed Integra wastewater treatment plant near the Flint River, citing environmental harm, recreation loss and a history of operator violations.
Dozens of residents testified at a public hearing on Oct. 14 asking the Alabama Department of Environmental Management to require further review or reject a permit application for a proposed Integra wastewater treatment plant.
A resident who said she has lived in Berryhill since age 2 framed the decision as moral and personal: "This is a community place," she said, describing summers of canoeing, kayaking and birthday parties by the Flint River and imploring regulators to "please have empathy." Multiple other speakers echoed that appeal and warned of broad community harms if the permit is approved.
Several speakers tied environmental concerns to public-health and fiscal stewardship. "You are a steward of taxpayer dollars and ... a steward of public health," said Matthew Keller, who also raised downstream federal considerations and ongoing litigation affecting regional basins. Others called for independent environmental studies before any approval.
The hearing closed with procedural instructions: the public comment period ends at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, and the department will consider all oral and written comments before making a permit determination.
