Mattresses in Montgomery, AL
MLILY Mattress Lowest Price Guaranteed!
If there's one thing we can all agree on, it's that nothing feels quite as good as a full night's sleep. When you sleep well, it sets the tone for the rest of your day. You wake up feeling refreshed and ready to go. It's almost like the world knows when you sleep well: your morning coffee hits just right, the sun shines just a little brighter, and you've got a little extra pep in your step.
Your friends and colleagues may notice, too, especially if good sleep is becoming a foreign concept for you. If it is, you're not alone - according to the CDC, people around the U.S. are in need of some serious zzzz's - more than 1 in 3 Americans aren't getting enough sleep. Perhaps even more shocking is that 40% of people fall asleep during the day once a month, according to the National Institutes of Health. Experts agree that most folks should get at least seven hours of sleep a night, but in reality, most Americans struggle to get five or six.
While some ultra-rich CEOs claim they only need a few hours of sleep a night, that's not true for most people. In fact, your body and brain will hate you if you're not getting enough shuteye. If you're feeling sluggish, unmotivated, snappy, achy, sick, or just down in the dumps, you may not be getting enough sleep. And it may not be your fault - that old, dilapidated innerspring mattress that you're sleeping on may be the true culprit.
Fortunately, Sleep King is here to help you get on the fast track to falling asleep with the ultimate comfort of MLILY mattresses in Montgomery, AL.
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Change can be challenging, but if you had the opportunity to boost your immune system, improve heart health, and increase productivity levels by ditching your old mattress, would you take it? If you're reading this page, you're probably nodding your head with a resounding "Yes!" And that's great because, at Sleep King, our mission is to provide you with the most comfortable, supportive mattresses in the industry: MLILY mattresses.
Unlike other mattress companies, we offer the lowest prices on MLILY mattresses in Montgomery AL - even lower than you can find on Amazon! Though we're locally owned and operated right here in beautiful South Carolina, we have the ability to ship these revolutionary mattresses anywhere in the U.S. So, if you're craving the comfort and support of an MLILY mattress, but live in Maryland, don't lose hope. A great night's sleep is available for you too.
With an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and hundreds of positive reviews on Google and other platforms, we're Montgomery's first choice when it comes to great sleep. Here are some of the most common reasons why our customers choose Sleep King over the competition:
- We Offer FREE Frames
- We Offer FREE Same-Day Local Delivery
- We Offer FREE Set-Up & Removal
- We Offer FREE Mattress Pads
- We Offer a 60-Day Comfort Guarantee
- We Provide On-Time Delivery
- We Have the Best Selection in Town, with 5 National Vendors
- Lowest MLILY Mattress Prices Around - Less Expensive Than Amazon
- We Have the Best Warranties in the Industry
- We Will Proudly Beat Anyone's Advertised Price by $50*(on purchases $299 and above)
- We Offer 0% Financing for 48 Months (APR, With Approved Credit)
Not sure why type of mattress is best for your body and sleeping style? Our knowledgeable, friendly mattress experts would be happy to help you get started on a better night's sleep. Why not swing by our showroom and check out our wide selection of MLILY mattresses? If your traditional innerspring setup is cutting into your sleep or even hurting your back, it's time to upgrade. After all, in a perfect world, you're spending 7-8 hours a night on your mattress, and you should get the best product for the price.
What are MLILY Mattresses in Montgomery AL?
When you rest on an MLILY mattress, you experience a cooler, deeper, more restorative sleep, so you can enjoy tomorrow to the fullest. Though MLILY is a global company, their local mattresses are made right here in the U.S., in facilities located in Arizona and South Carolina. Unlike many innerspring mattresses, MLILY mattresses are designed for a more supportive sleep while wicking away moisture and fighting off-putting odors.
While many large, mainstream brands you see on TV are built using outdated technologies, MLILY mattress and pillow products are produced using proprietary machinery built exclusively for MLILY. This machine uses precise cutting technology, ensuring that your mattress is the right size for your body and the right price for your budget. Plus, without ozone depletes, lead, mercury, or heavy metals, MLILY foams are manufactured to be safe for you, your spouse, kids, pets, and the environment. It doesn't get much better than that!
At Sleep King, we offer a number of different MLILY mattresses, including:
The Foam Collection
These specialty foams give you superior sleeping support, long-lasting durability for years of sleep, and rejuvenating comfort to keep you rested and ready for the day.
The Hybrid Collection
These unique mattresses feature individually pocketed springs that transform traditional innerspring mattresses into a whole new level of comfort and rest.
The Kids Collection
Kids need great sleep too! This collection includes happy designs and endless flexibility, creating the perfect foundation for families to create memorable bedtime memories.
The PowerCool Sleep System
This fan-powered sleep system lets you experience sleep like never before, keeping you cool on even the hottest nights.
Have questions about MLILY mattresses? Contact Sleep King today or simply stop by our showroom to get the full rundown of this incredible brand. Whether you're a side sleeper with spine problems or a back sleeper not getting enough sleep, there's an MLILY mattress in Montgomery AL that can help. Remember, at Sleep King, we sell MLILY mattresses at a deep discount, so you can get a good night's rest without going into debt.
5 Ways to Tell If You Need a New Mattress
Take a moment and think about all the different things that have happened in your life over the last decade. Maybe you graduated college or got the job of your dreams. Perhaps you got married or moved to a new home in a new state. But if you're like the average person, one thing remained the same: your mattress. It might be surprising to hear, but the average lifespan of a mattress is between seven and ten years.
Letting go of your old, worn-out mattress might be hard, especially if it's served you well over time. As with most products, however, nothing lasts forever. But how do you know when it's time to ditch your old bed and choose a new MLILY mattress in , AL? Here are just a few of the most common reasons that customers tell us when it comes to buying a new bed.
Pungent Odor
Is your mattress starting to smell less like roses and more like the dirty socks in your hamper? When your mattress gets smelly, it's most often a result of mold, fungi, and mildew buildup over time. There's not too much you can do to avoid this from happening, especially if you live in a humid climate. So, the next time you change your sheets, give your mattress a sniff. If it smells funky, it's time to upgrade.
Saggy Mattress
If your mattress has a noticeable sag, it's a surefire sign that you need to get a new mattress. Mattresses sag because, over time, coils begin to weaken, and memory foam loses elasticity. If you lay down on your bed for a moment, get up, and your bed sags instead of returning to its original appearance, your mattress is nearing the end of its life.
Pain
Waking up in pain is basically the an thesis of what a mattress is supposed to do. Due to wear and tear over time, even the best mattresses lose their ability to support your body. If you've been waking up with dull aches and pains in your hips, lower back, or shoulders, it's a red flag. Finding a comfortable, supportive mattress like an MLILY Fusion Lux is of utmost importance.
Tossing and Turning
Constantly moving side-to-side or switching positions in the middle of the night is a great way to get your partner angry. It's also a big sign that you need to consider buying a new mattress. Like the supportiveness of our mattresses, general comfortability also lessens with usage and time. Here's the truth: You shouldn't need to toss and turn to get comfortable in your bed. If you are, your mattress has probably declined in quality and needs replacing. You shouldn't ever have to put your sleep health on the line for an uncomfortable mattress.
What are the Benefits of a Good Night's Sleep?
It might sound obvious, but the #1 reason why people choose to buy a new mattress is to get better sleep. Sleep, in and of itself, is a bit of a mystery - somehow, our bodies just know when it's time to clock out for the day and go to sleep. But if you've been sleeping on a poor quality or dilapidated mattress for long enough, you might have become used to the feeling of lackluster sleep. If that sounds like you, we're here to tell you that you're missing out.
Getting a great night's rest is one of life's little pleasures, but according to experts, it's also much more than that. If you swear by limiting your sleep to be more "productive," you may be doing yourself a disservice.
Better Heart Health
When you don't get enough sleep on a regular basis, it can lead to serious heart issues like high blood pressure and even heart attacks. Why? Because poor sleep causes your body to release cortisol. This stress hormone causes your heart to work harder. That's great in some situations, but long stretches of poor sleep are quite bad for your heart. Like other parts of your body, your heart needs to rest in order to function correctly.
Boosted Immune System
Getting a cold is never fun. But if it feels like someone slapped your head with an anvil when you get the sniffles, you may need better sleep. When you get great sleep, the proteins and immune cells in your body have a better chance of fighting off things like the common cold and flu. Your immune system also helps mitigate symptoms like runny noses, congestion, headaches, and more. Without the right sleep, symptoms from colds and cases of flu will be much worse.
Improved Mood
Do you roll out of bed and feel like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh? You're probably not getting great sleep. When you sleep well, you wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and ready to attack the day. Your energy levels are high, making life's little annoyances more manageable. And when you're not annoyed, you're typically not angry. When you're not angry, you're only a half-step away from being happy. So, put on our PJs and get to bed early on an MLILY mattress in , AL. Your friends and family will thank you!
Increased Productivity
Earlier, we mentioned how some people purposely lose sleep so that they can be more productive. On the surface, that makes some sense since you have more hours in the day to dedicate to work. However, burning the midnight oil again and again is a bad idea. Eventually, you'll start making mistakes that an afternoon pot of coffee won't fix. Instead of cutting your sleep short, try getting more. Studies show that great sleep is linked to higher cognitive function and improved concentration. If you're not purposely limiting your sleep, it's time to ditch that old mattress and swing by Sleep King.
Supercharge Your Weight-Loss Efforts
Getting eight or more hours of sleep doesn't mean you're going to lose lbs. overnight. But getting better sleep can seriously help with your diet or weight loss goals. When you get poor sleep, your body creates a hormone called ghrelin that causes you to get hungry. It also lowers the amounts of leptin in your body, which is a hormone that lets you know you're full. With great sleep, these hormones remain balanced, so you don't wake up finding for a sugary bowl of Captain Crunch.
Choose Sleep King for MLILY Mattress Lowest Price Guaranteed!
If you're sick of mediocre sleep and want to take on tomorrow with a fresh mind, better sleep begins with MLILY mattresses in Montgomery AL. When you trust our mattress store in Montgomery for MLILY mattresses, you're already taking the first steps towards better sleeping habits.
From cold-to-the-touch mattresses like the Fusion Luxe to popular hybrid bed options like the Fusion Supreme Hybrid Mattress, Sleep King has got you covered. With a vast selection of bed frames, adjustable bases, bedroom decor, and even whole-home furnishings, you won't have to look anywhere else besides our showroom in Montgomery. One look at our prices, and you'll understand why we're South Carolina's go-to choice for premium mattresses like MLILY. Call or visit our location today to get started on your journey to healthier sleep.
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Latest News in Montgomery, AL
Readout of Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke’s Trip to Selma, Alabama
justice.govhttps://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/readout-assistant-attorney-general-kristen-clarke-s-trip-selma-alabama
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division traveled to Selma, Alabama, over the weekend to commemorate the 58th anniversary of Bloody Sunday and meet with local organizations about the Justice Department’s commitment to civil rights and racial justice.This morning, Assistant Attorney General Clarke spoke at the Martin and Coretta King Unity Breakfast at Wallace Community College in Selma, Alabama, reflecting on the painful history of Bloody Sunday and enumerating the Justice...
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division traveled to Selma, Alabama, over the weekend to commemorate the 58th anniversary of Bloody Sunday and meet with local organizations about the Justice Department’s commitment to civil rights and racial justice.
This morning, Assistant Attorney General Clarke spoke at the Martin and Coretta King Unity Breakfast at Wallace Community College in Selma, Alabama, reflecting on the painful history of Bloody Sunday and enumerating the Justice Department’s recent enforcement work to defend the civil rights of all people.
She said, “To quote Dr. King: ‘Selma, Alabama, became a shining moment in the conscience of man. If the worst in American life lurked in its dark streets, the best of American instincts arose passionately from across the nation to overcome it.’ The Civil Rights Division at the Justice Department is driven by that same belief. We are committed to defending the civil rights of all people in our country.” Read her full remarks here.
Later that morning, she spoke at a worship service hosted by the historic Brown Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church. She said, “John Lewis may not be with us today, but … we all know that he fought the good fight. Today, our charge – indeed our sacred mission – is to pick up the baton that he has handed us and continue the fight for justice. The commemoration of Bloody Sunday is a moment to redouble our efforts to ensure that every American has voice in our democracy…” Read her full remarks here.
In the afternoon, Assistant Attorney General Clarke crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge with a delegation of U.S Attorneys and hundreds of people, including civil rights leaders, distinguished clergy, elected officials and residents of Alabama.
On Monday, Assistant Attorney General Clarke will travel to Montgomery, Alabama, to meet with the U.S. Attorneys of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee Civil Rights Subcommittee, the Equal Justice Initiative, and other civil rights stakeholders.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke and U.S. Attorneys from across the country. Districts represented: Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, South Carolina, Colorado, Nevada, Montana, Idaho, South Dakota, Western and Middle Districts of Louisiana, Eastern District of Wisconsin, Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, Middle District of Florida, Northern and Eastern Districts of California, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Virginia, Western District of North Carolina, Southern District of Ohio, Eastern District of New York and the Southern District of West Virginia.
MGM girls coach Matt Bosarge steps down citing mental health reasons
John Vellahttps://www.al.com/highschoolsports/2023/03/mgm-girls-coach-matt-bosarge-steps-down-citing-mental-health-reasons.html
Mary G. Montgomery girls basketball coach Matt Bosarge has resigned, citing a mental health issue.Bosarge stepped down 10 days after his team’s 41-31 loss to Prattville in the South Regional in Montgomery on Feb. 18.“It’s definitely a real thing,” Bosarge said. “I think mental health is something that is misunderstood.”Bosarge said he has been battling dizziness and anxiety.“I knew I wanted to coach this season,” he said. “We had such a special group returning....
Mary G. Montgomery girls basketball coach Matt Bosarge has resigned, citing a mental health issue.
Bosarge stepped down 10 days after his team’s 41-31 loss to Prattville in the South Regional in Montgomery on Feb. 18.
“It’s definitely a real thing,” Bosarge said. “I think mental health is something that is misunderstood.”
Bosarge said he has been battling dizziness and anxiety.
“I knew I wanted to coach this season,” he said. “We had such a special group returning.”
This year’s MGM team won 14 games and made the Sweet 16 for the first since 1997.
“We had such a great team,” Bosarge said. “They all played important roles, not everybody could be the scorer, and they realized that. We had defense, rebounders, unselfish players. They all made it work.”
Bosarge took the MGM job six years ago when he was right out of college.
“I was young and just wanted a chance,” he said.
The Vikings didn’t find much success in Bosarge’s first few of seasons.
“About the third season, things started to turn around and click for us as a program,” he said.
MGM won double digit games in the third and fourth years under Bosarge before winning just two games in 2021-2022.
“It was a combination of injuries and team chemistry,” he said.
The Vikings bounced back this past season, going 14-8 overall, including an eight-game win streak, and finishing 7-0 at home behind stars Ivy Klezmer and Daysha Broughton.
Bosarge plans to continue teaching at MGM.
“I love the Semmes community,” he said. “I’m thankful for the administrators here and the incredible support system I have around me.”
Returning to the court is also a possibility in the future.
“Maybe in a couple of years I’ll coach again,” he said. “Right now, I want to focus on my health and spend time with my family. My faith is something that I hold near and dear to me. I serve a mighty God, and I’m believing in great things through all this.”
Other coaches from the area have also reached out and expressed dealing with similar emotions.
“I have shared with people that getting help is not a sign of weakness,” he said. “It’s not about being tough. Just being honest and taking care of yourself is the most important thing.”
30th FCA Jason Armstrong tournament starts today at Riverwalk
Tim Gaylehttps://www.montgomeryindependent.com/sports/30th-fca-jason-armstrong-tournament-starts-today-at-riverwalk/article_8cfe2104-bcbc-11ed-a530-8fe2215a0d91.html
The area’s best baseball teams will be in action this week at Riverwalk Stadium and Paterson Field in the 30th annual FCA Jason Armstrong Memorial Baseball Tournament that starts on Tuesday and runs through next Monday.The tournament, started by former Trinity coach Ken Whittle in 1994 with the idea of honoring the memory of former Trinity star Jason Armstrong, began as a tournament for the Capital City Conference schools and some of their River Region neighbors, but gradually grew to include teams in other parts of the state. T...
The area’s best baseball teams will be in action this week at Riverwalk Stadium and Paterson Field in the 30th annual FCA Jason Armstrong Memorial Baseball Tournament that starts on Tuesday and runs through next Monday.
The tournament, started by former Trinity coach Ken Whittle in 1994 with the idea of honoring the memory of former Trinity star Jason Armstrong, began as a tournament for the Capital City Conference schools and some of their River Region neighbors, but gradually grew to include teams in other parts of the state. This year’s tournament has a decided local flavor as 11 of the city’s 12 baseball programs are participating in the tournament.
“This area is really competitive and has been the last few years,” said Trinity’s Jarrod Cook, coach of the defending state champion Wildcats. “I think the teams outside of the Montgomery area look at the (talent in the) surrounding counties and say those guys are pretty good, let’s jump in that tournament. And all of the coaches are familiar with each other. I think it’s a no-brainer when you have as much talent in the area.”
In addition to the local teams, 7A Prattville, 6A Stanhope Elmore and Pike Road and 5A Holtville will participate along with Chilton County, Pike County, Providence Christian and Andalusia.
“It’s just about iron sharpening iron,” Cook said. “We just want to make our kids better.”
The tournament is an early gauge for teams still searching for an identity, such as Trinity.
“Honestly, I think these teams we’re going to play are some of the best teams on our schedule,” Cook said. “We play these games to go and compete against some of the best talent around the area. Hopefully, it reveals some weaknesses. The team I have this year is still in that identity phase and to be able to play teams like this in this tournament will help us move that forward. We’re still trying to shape things up. It’ll be good for us.”
30TH ANNUAL FCA
JASON ARMSTRONG MEMORIAL
BASEBALL TOURNAMENT
March 7-13
Tuesday
Greenville vs. Park Crossing, Riverwalk, 2 p.m.
Andalusia vs. Chilton County, Riverwalk, 4 p.m.
G.W. Carver vs. Pike County, Riverwalk, 6 p.m.
Wednesday
St. James vs. Prattville, Riverwalk, 2 p.m.
Alabama Christian vs. Stanhope Elmore, Paterson, 2 p.m.
Montgomery Academy vs. Elmore County, Riverwalk, 4 p.m.
Andalusia vs. Prattville Christian, Paterson, 4 p.m.
LAMP vs. Brew Tech, Riverwalk, 6 p.m.
Pike Road vs. Holtville, Paterson, 6 p.m.
Thursday
Trinity vs. Prattville, Riverwalk, 2 p.m.
Montgomery Academy vs. Brew Tech, Paterson, 2 p.m.
Stanhope Elmore vs. Andalusia, Riverwalk, 4 p.m.
St. James vs. Catholic, Paterson, 4 p.m.
Holtville vs. Alabama Christian, Riverwalk, 6 p.m.
Prattville Christian vs. LAMP, Paterson, 6 p.m.
Friday
Trinity vs. Holtville, Whittle-Armstrong Field, 2 p.m.
Prattville vs. Pike Road, Paterson, 2 p.m.
Prattville Christian vs. Catholic, Prattville Christian, 4 p.m.
Alabama Christian vs. Elmore County, Paterson, 4 p.m.
Providence Christian vs. Montgomery Academy, Bowen Field, 6 p.m.
Robert E. Lee vs. Brew Tech, Paterson, 6 p.m.
Saturday
Trinity vs. Pike Road, Riverwalk, 10 a.m.
Providence Christian vs. Prattville, Paterson, 10 a.m.
St. James vs. Holtville, Riverwalk, noon
Providence Christian vs. Catholic, Paterson, noon
Robert E. Lee vs. Greenville, Riverwalk, 2 p.m.
Elmore County vs. LAMP, Paterson, 2 p.m.
Monday
Park Crossing vs. Brew Tech, Riverwalk, 2 p.m.
Jeff Davis vs. G.W. Carver, Riverwalk, 4 p.m.
Joe Biden stumbles up Air Force One steps for second time in two weeks as he leaves Montgomery base in Alabama
Israel Salas-Rodriguezhttps://www.the-sun.com/news/7560860/president-joe-biden-stumbles-air-force-one-again/
THE steps of Air Force One have continued to torment President Joe Biden as he once again stumbled while boarding the plane.Biden's latest gaffe came on Sunday in Montgomery, Alabama, less than two weeks after his viral episode in Poland.The president was in Selma to commemorate the 58th anniv...
THE steps of Air Force One have continued to torment President Joe Biden as he once again stumbled while boarding the plane.
Biden's latest gaffe came on Sunday in Montgomery, Alabama, less than two weeks after his viral episode in Poland.
The president was in Selma to commemorate the 58th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday march, which jumpstarted the civil rights movement and helped expand voting rights.
As he was getting ready to depart for the White House, Biden was caught on camera losing his footing while boarding Air Force One before regaining his balance and entering the plane's cabin.
On February 22, the 80-year-old president fell forward about halfway up the stairs to the plane while departing Poland after a surprise trip overseas.
Biden regained his balance as he stood back up, waved at the crowd and continued to the door.
The dramatic moment in Poland came hours before a White House staffer also fell down the ramp of the government plane.
The unidentified employee was captured on Polish television falling and sliding down before officials on the ground aided her.
The president's latest blunders come weeks after a physical examination, where doctors declared him "healthy and fit for duty."
"The president remains fit for duty and fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations," White House physician Kevin O'Connor said in a summary of the health exam on February 16.
Biden said his physical went well. "Everything really went well. Thank God for small favors," he told NBC News.
The president's health status came months after he was seen tripping as he was heading to California after delivering a speech on the 2022 mid-term elections last June.
The trip was slight, and the president marched up the rest of the stairs before giving a salute at the top.
A more dramatic moment was filmed in March 2021, when Biden fell three times up the stairs.
At the time, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed that Biden was "doing 100 percent fine" following the tumble.
Biden's age remains a hot topic among Congress members as he eyes running for a second term.
He will be 81 during the 2024 presidential election and 86 at the end of a full second term.
Biden hasn't explicitly said he plans to run for a second term. However, he is expected to make a decision and an announcement soon.
SPLC: State policies keeping Black communities from sanitation funding
Hadley Hitsonhttps://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/2023/03/06/splc-files-title-vi-complaint-against-alabama-environmental-management/69977734007/
The Southern Poverty Law Center has filed a civil rights complaint against the State of Alabama and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management on behalf of two environmental organizations.The way the state distributes funds for infrastructure improvement discriminates against communities of color that lack proper sanitation access, the complaint alleges.ADEM says those allegations are “factually incorrect and baseless." An ADEM spokesperson also said that disadvantaged communities in the Black ...
The Southern Poverty Law Center has filed a civil rights complaint against the State of Alabama and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management on behalf of two environmental organizations.
The way the state distributes funds for infrastructure improvement discriminates against communities of color that lack proper sanitation access, the complaint alleges.
ADEM says those allegations are “factually incorrect and baseless." An ADEM spokesperson also said that disadvantaged communities in the Black Belt received funding from the agency at "three times the rate" of other areas.
The department says it has not been officially notified of a complaint under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
What we know about the Black Belt’s sewage crisis
Thousands of homes in rural Alabama are without adequate sewage systems.
In fact, Columbia University’s international research initiative estimates that 90% of septic systems in Alabama’s Black Belt are functioning poorly or are failing due to unsuitable soil conditions in the region.
When rural families live too far away to connect to municipal sewer systems, the responsibility falls on them to dispose of their own waste.
There are two options available to most people, and only one of them is legal. The first option is to install and maintain a private septic system on their property. Installation alone costs between $10,000 and $25,000. The second — which is illegal but commonly resorted to — is “straight-piping” waste into the backyard with a PVC pipe.
Several groups are operating in the Black Belt to solve the crisis, including The Consortium for Alabama Rural Water and Wastewater Management and the Black Belt Unincorporated Wastewater Program.
These programs have received support from ADEM and other state and federal agencies. Individual towns receive funding for sewage infrastructure improvements as well.
Earlier this year, ADEM and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a $10 million repair and expansion project for Hayneville’s sewage system. This funding came from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the American Rescue Plan Act, and the State Revolving Fund.
What the complaint says
SPLC is representing The Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice and the Natural Resources Defense Council in the complaint, saying that the state withholds resources from the Black communities that don’t have proper wastewater infrastructure.
Essentially, ADEM manages Alabama’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which is a low-interest loan program intended to finance public infrastructure improvements in Alabama, but the complaint alleges that ADEM policies have made it “nearly impossible for people who need help with onsite sanitation to access this money.”
The alleged ADEM practices cited in the complaint include a point system to rank project proposals, a lack of consideration for financial need in its ranking system, a limit on “the amount of loan forgiveness it offers people with financial need” and inadequate outreach to disadvantaged communities.
The Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice and the Natural Resources Defense Council say these policies disproportionately harm Alabama’s Black residents.
“This country’s neglect of wastewater infrastructure in majority Black communities — both urban and rural — is resulting in a hygienic hell for far too many people. A hell that climate change is only making worse,” activist Catherine Coleman Flowers said in a statement.
Flowers founded The Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice in 2019 before publishing her book about growing up in Lowndes County, where the sewage crisis is prevalent.
She said in a statement on Monday that she hopes this complaint will result in “corrective action.”
ADEM’s response
The state environmental management agency vehemently denied the groups’ claims that it discriminates against Black communities that lack sanitary sewage systems.
“In fact, quite the opposite is true,” ADEM spokesperson Jerome Hand told the Advertiser in a statement on Monday. “In 2022, 34% ($157 million) of the $463 million of drinking water and wastewater funding awarded by ADEM went to Black Belt counties where 10.6% of Alabama’s population resides. Disadvantaged Black Belt areas received funding at three times the rate of other areas.”
He added that federal audits of the State Revolving Fund Programs have consistently found ADEM to be in compliance with all federal requirements, including laws against discrimination and those related to loan and principal forgiveness eligibility.
Hadley Hitson covers the rural South for the Montgomery Advertiser and Report for America. She can be reached athhitson@gannett.com. To support her work, subscribe to the Advertiser or donate to Report for America.
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