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A Year After a Fatal Explosion, Alabama Extends Deadline for Coal Companies to Monitor Methane Gas Above Mines – Inside Climate News

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A Year After a Fatal Explosion, Alabama Extends Deadline for Coal Companies to Monitor Methane Gas Above Mines – Inside Climate News


Undermined: Fourteenth in a series about the impacts of longwall mining in Alabama.

JASPER, Ala.—Verby Burton said she wasn’t expecting much from Thursday’s meeting of the Alabama Surface Mining Commission, the agency tasked with regulating the surface impacts of underground coal mining in the state.

“And that’s exactly what I got,” Burton said after the meeting. “Not much.”

Burton is a resident of Oak Grove, a rural community in western Jefferson County, about 45 miles southwest of Birmingham, that sits above an expanding longwall coal mine. The impacts of the aggressive form of mining—cracking roads, damaging foundations, causing land subsidence and triggering the escape of potentially explosive methane gas—have plagued the community for years. That culminated in a home explosion atop the mine in March 2024 that that killed grandfather W.M. Griffice and seriously injured his grandson.

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Verby Burton said she left Thursday’s meeting unsatisfied by officials’ responses to the concerns of Oak Grove residents. Credit: Lee Hedgepeth/Inside Climate News
Verby Burton said she left Thursday’s meeting unsatisfied by officials’ responses to the concerns of Oak Grove residents. Credit: Lee Hedgepeth/Inside Climate News

In December, after a series of investigations by Inside Climate News into the explosion and Alabama’s lax regulatory response, federal mining officials forced the state’s hand, issuing a so-called ten-day notice requiring the Alabama Surface Mining Commission to demand methane monitoring plans from coal companies in the state. 

In a letter sent in January, the agency’s director, Kathy Love, did just that, requiring that the companies submit new “subsidence control plans” that include measures related to monitoring levels of potentially explosive methane gas in and around homes located above their operations. 

At Thursday’s meeting, however, Love announced that she had unilaterally delayed the March 31 deadline she’d previously imposed for submitting such methane monitoring plans by six months, giving coal companies until Sept. 30 to submit the updated documents. 

“I was under pressure to get an answer out for that ten-day notice, and, unbeknownst to me—I should’ve thought about it—March 31 is not enough time,” she said.

Love did not mention during Thursday’s meeting how she’d determined that the initial 90-day period was insufficient, but a draft letter from her agency to coal companies across the state obtained by Inside Climate News notes that her decision came after a request from the Alabama Mining Association, a lobbying group that bills itself as the “collective voice of Alabama’s mining industry.”

The draft letter says “mine operators sought assistance from the Alabama Mining Association (AMA) to obtain a deadline extension to allow adequate time for the completion of the comprehensive plans.”

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AMA then formally requested a 180-day extension of the deadline in a letter to the state agency dated March 18, the letter states, and “upon review of the facts and circumstances,” the Alabama regulator granted the request. 

Meanwhile, residents who reside atop the expanding Oak Grove mine live in fear of a methane explosion in their home. 

Resident Phyllis Wright said in an interview that during a recent thunderstorm, her home methane monitor alerted her to an unsafe level of the gas, advising her to “ventilate and evacuate” her home. Wright didn’t know what to do, she said, and still hasn’t received guidance from mine operators or state or federal regulators as to what should be done in such situations. 

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W.M. Griffice’s home was completely destroyed in the March 2024 blast that would lead to his death. Credit: Courtesy of the Alabama Fire Marshal’s OfficeW.M. Griffice’s home was completely destroyed in the March 2024 blast that would lead to his death. Credit: Courtesy of the Alabama Fire Marshal’s Office
W.M. Griffice’s home was completely destroyed in the March 2024 blast that would lead to his death. Credit: Courtesy of the Alabama Fire Marshal’s Office

At Thursday’s meeting, Love, citing that incident, initially appeared somewhat dismissive of home methane monitors.

“I don’t know what caused that, but it was just an incident that may have been a false alarm or caused by the lightning,” she told residents and commissioners gathered for the meeting. “I don’t know. I can’t even verify anything like that.”

Asked later by an Inside Climate News reporter whether she would have such a monitor in her home were she to live above an expanding longwall mine, however, Love didn’t hesitate to answer. 

“Yes, I would,” she said. “Just like I have a fire alarm.”

Love emphasized in the meeting that she believes that coal operators in Alabama are going beyond what’s required by law to monitor methane and ensure the safety of those living above mines. Residents like Lisa Lindsay, W.M. Griffice’s closest neighbor, are skeptical of that claim. 

Commissioners prepare for the Thursday meeting of the Alabama Surface Mining Commission. Credit: Lee Hedgepeth/Inside Climate NewsCommissioners prepare for the Thursday meeting of the Alabama Surface Mining Commission. Credit: Lee Hedgepeth/Inside Climate News
Commissioners prepare for the Thursday meeting of the Alabama Surface Mining Commission. Credit: Lee Hedgepeth/Inside Climate News

Crimson Oak Grove Resources, the mining company that owns and operates the mine below her home, placed methane monitors under her property following the fatal explosion in 2024. 

Since then, Lindsay told Love and commissioners, she’s requested information on the observed methane levels. Only occasionally has she gotten a response, she said. And when she has heard back from company representatives, their answers aren’t specific, simply telling her that elevated levels of methane were detected beneath her home “fewer than five times.” 

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“They’ve refused to tell me what’s happening under my house,” Lindsay said. 

“I don’t know what the justification is for not giving you those readings,” Love responded. “I will make the phone call and see what I can do.”

Oak Grove Resources did not respond to a request for comment. The company hasn’t answered any of Inside Climate News’ questions since the explosion.

“Y’all need to get on it, then,” Lindsay told Love and agency commissioners. “Y’all are the last line of defense for us residents versus the mining industry. Your job is to regulate and help protect us, right? So that’s something that really, really has got to be followed up on. We need to know what’s going on underneath our houses.”

About This Story

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Alabama

Southern 88-85 Alabama A&M (Mar 5, 2026) Game Recap – ESPN

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Southern 88-85 Alabama A&M (Mar 5, 2026) Game Recap – ESPN


HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — — Terrance Dixon Jr.’s 19 points helped Southern defeat Alabama A&M 88-85 on Thursday.

Dixon shot 7 of 10 from the field and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line for the Jaguars (15-16, 11-7 Southwestern Athletic Conference). Michael Jacobs scored 15 points while going 4 of 11 and 7 of 9 from the free-throw line, and added five rebounds. AJ Barnes shot 3 for 7 (1 for 3 from 3-point range) and 7 of 8 from the free-throw line to finish with 14 points, while adding six rebounds.

Koron Davis finished with 23 points for the Bulldogs (17-14, 10-8). James Graham added 19 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two steals for Alabama A&M. Kintavious Dozier also had 12 points.

The Jaguars led by 10 points with 59 seconds to go, before the Bulldogs executed a three-point play from Bilal Abdur-Rahim then got a 3-pointer from Dozier in the span of nine seconds, cutting the deficit to four. A free throw battle closed out the result for the Jaguars.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.



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Alabama

Top-30 overall recruit Jaxon Richardson commits to Alabama

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Top-30 overall recruit Jaxon Richardson commits to Alabama


Jaxon Richardson, the No. 27 overall recruit in the 2026 class per the Rivals Industry Ranking, has committed to Alabama.

The 6-foot-6 four-star small forward out of Southeastern Prep (FL) ultimately chose the Crimson Tide over USC, Creighton, and Ole Miss. He also received offers from Miami, Cincinnati, Michigan, Florida, Villanova, and others.

Richardson, a McDonald’s All-American, becomes the Crimson Tide’s third commitment of the 2026 cycle. He joins four-star shooting guard Qayden Samuels (No. 28 NATL) and four-star small forward Tarris Bouie (No. 54 NATL).

He’s the son of NBA veteran and two-time NBA Dunk Contest champion Jason Richardson. His older brother, Jase, played for Michigan State last season before being selected 25th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic.

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Rivals’ National Recruiting Analyst Jamie Shaw says Richardson is one of the most explosive players in the 2026 class:

Jaxon Richardson is able to combine fluid athleticism with explosive burst in a way no other player in this class can. He uses his athleticism to his advantage on the floor. He fills the outside channels with a purpose in transition, he is aggressive in the passing lanes, and he plays as a vertical floor spacer in the dunker spots and lob plays. Last summer, playing with the Florida Rebels on Nike’s EYBL Circuit, the 6-foot-6 wing averaged 12.8 points on 54.0 percent shooting and 10.5 attempts per game. Last high school season, he averaged 12.9 points on 61.0 percent shooting on 8.9 attempts per game. He is a highly efficient player, as 84.4 percent of his makes last high school season were at the rim.



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Alabama Baseball Ties Stolen Base Record In Win Over Hornets

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Alabama Baseball Ties Stolen Base Record In Win Over Hornets


Alabama baseball cruised to a win over Alabama State on Wednesday night, beating the Hornets 13-4 to complete the season sweep. The Crimson Tide tied a program record with nine stolen bases in one of the stranger contests that will be played this season.

The tone was set for a tumultuous night on the basepaths in the opening minutes of the game. Leadoff batter Bryce Fowler, who exited Tuesday’s game after getting beaned in the head, was walked, and promptly took second base. He advanced to third on a wild pitch in Justin Lebron’s at-bat, paving the way for Lebron to steal second when he was ultimately walked as well.

The successful baserunning instantly paid off, as Brady Neal drove both in with a double to left-center field before John Lemm walked two at-bats later. Both runners stole their respective bases on the same pitch in Jason Torres’ plate appearance, meaning that four of the first five batters of the game stole a base.

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Alabama has been exceptional on the basepaths, sitting at 30-for-30 on the season. Lebron, who swiped two bags on Wednesday, leads the team with 12. The junior had an up-and-down night, hitting his eighth home run of the season, but also committing an error at shortstop for the fourth consecutive game.

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“Get those things out of there now, baby. The dude is unbelievable,” an unconcerned Rob Vaughn said on Tuesday of Lebron’s errors. “We’re going to look up at the end of the year, and that guy is going to have five or six errors, which one he’s got right now, and we’ll be like, ‘Man, that guy is the best of all time to do it.’”

Wednesday’s game was a very prototypical midweek contest with no shortage of quirks and oddities throughout its nearly four-hour runtime. Fifteen Alabama batters were walked, falling just one shy of the program record, and the hit by pitch record was tied as seven batters were plunked.

The game was never competitive from an on-field standpoint. After barely escaping with a 2-1 win in the first matchup with the Hornets two weeks ago, this was a far more accurate representation of what these games typically look like, as Alabama now leads the all-time series 15-0.

Freshman Joe Chiarodo made his first career start, allowing two hits and one walk over two scoreless innings. He was named the winning pitcher. Luke Smyers, Connor Lehman, Anthony Pesci and Tate Robertson were the other pitchers to take the mound. Lehman allowed a three-run blast in the sixth inning, and those were the only runs until the incredibly-named Skywalker Mann drove in a run off Robertson in the ninth.

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Perhaps the most shocking figure from the game was that Alabama had 19 runners left on base. The Crimson Tide left the bases loaded in four different innings. As stated, this was just a bizarre baseball game across the board. With the midweeks out of the way, the Crimson Tide gets to prepare for its final weekend tune-up before SEC play as North Florida heads into Tuscaloosa on Friday.



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