Here are some photos taken since May of a portable Oxygen Tank that heavy rains have slowly been pushing down Dog River for many Moons. The tank has moved only about half a mile despite heavy rains because it is trapped in the trash tidal zone of upper Dog River watershed (along with a hell of a lot of other trash).
The 2 or 3 foot long cylinder looks pretty benign but unfortunately compressed pure oxygen tanks are serious fire and explosion hazards. Can you imagine what would happen if wind pushes the possibly full metal oxygen cylinder out in the middle of Dog River and a boat propeller hits it causing an explosion killing all the boat occupants? This "Storm Water Litter" is an accident just waiting to happen. Google "OXYGEN TANK" and "EXPLOSION" to see the damage these little cylinders are capable of causing.
Since 2011 I have alerted City, County, State and Federal authorities, along with media outlets and environmental agencies and watchdog groups about hazardous materials observed along Mobile area waterways asking them to get the trash and hazardous materials removed. ADEM slapped a fine on Mobile yet Mobile still ignores their storm water trash.
Despite years of complaints, to my knowledge, as of yet there is no program in Mobile County or the City of Mobile or the State of Alabama to get storm water trash (including hazardous stuff) removed from navigable public waterways with the exception of a single litter trap which still doesn't work when it is most needed to work which is during heavy rain events.
Annual 4 hour cleanups do not get waterways very clean. This dangerous oxygen cylinder is a prime example because is still floating less than one quarter mile away from the recent Coastal Cleanup Zone location at Dog River Park. Obviously boating volunteers did not comb the 125 miles of Dog River watershed's shoreline looking for and removing trash. But why should the removal of trash from waterways be left up to a once a year 4 hour VOLUNTEER cleanup? After all, most of the garbage in the Mobile waterways is related to the City's MS4 storm water drainage system and the public's litter. The Public should pay for the trash removal and the City Public Works should do it.
Time for the Mayor and Mobile City Council to raise taxes to fund a City waterway trash removal program placing the burden of keeping Mobile public waterways clean on the City and its Citizens and Businesses who are responsible for littering the public waterways in the first place.
ADEM has fined the City of Mobile with reference to Storm Water Management but the City of Mobile continues to ignore trash like this floating in the public waterways. This explosive tank is in Mobile Council members C. J. Small's district.
Someone should not only lose their job, they should face criminal charges for CONTINUING to ignore hazardous material pollution in Mobile area public waterways - even after multiple complaints.
I'm done harping on the subject. Thank your polluting neighbors and ignorant leaders for your polluted public waterways. Enjoy your cancer.