Gasp, Inc.

* Alabama Beyond Coal Campaign of the Sierra Club * Alabama Rivers

Alliance * Black Warrior Riverkeeper * North Birmingham Community Coalition * Patricia
Todd * People Against Neighborhood Industrial Contamianation (PANIC) * Sierra Club
Alabama Chapter * Village Creek Human & Environmental Justice Society

August 25, 2017

The Honorable Jeff Sessions

Attorney General of the United States
United States Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20530-0001

Re: Recusal from Balch & Bingham, Drummond Corruption Investigation

Dear Attorney General Sessions:

I am writing you today on behalf of Gasp, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the
reduction of air pollution through education and advocacy along with the undersigned to
respectfully request that you recuse yourself from any and all future involvement in the ongoing
investigation into public corruption related to the so-called North Birmingham Superfund Site (35th
Avenue Site).

As you know, this investigation is being led by the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern
District of Alabama. The Department of Justice is bringing charges of conspiracy, bribery, and fraud
against former State of Alabama Representative Oliver Robinson. The pleading documents allege
that Robinson accepted bribes from Birmingham law firm Balch & Bingham and an executive at
Drummond Company. According to the U.S. Attorney, this scheme was designed to block EPA
recommendations to add the 35th Avenue Site to the National Priorities List (NPL) and to prevent
the EPA from expanding its investigation to include nearby neighborhoods (Pinson Valley Site).

In both of these cases, Gasp played a significant role. We asked the EPA to propose adding the 35th
Avenue Site to the NPL and filed extensive comments supporting the proposal in January 2015.
Gasp also formally petitioned the EPA to expand its investigation into potential contamination in
adjacent the Pinson Valley Site area.

Due to your well-documented connections to these two powerful companies, Balch & Bingham and
Drummond Company, we believe such a recusal is necessary and appropriate under the
circumstances in this case. For example, as a U.S. Senator, Balch & Bingham and Drummond were
your second and third largest sources of campaign contributions. (Totaling over $300,000 according
to public campaign finance records.)

But this goes much deeper than campaign contributions. While you were the Senator from Alabama,
Balch & Bingham attorneys worked for your office. In fact, a partner at the law firm sat mere feet
away from you at your confirmation hearing for the office you now hold. According to the Project
on Government Oversight, Jeffrey H. Wood, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the
Environment and Natural Resources Division, was a partner at the firm until he joined the Justice

Department the day President Trump was inaugurated. As a result, Wood rightly recused himself
from matters involving Balch & Bingham specifically citing the 35th Avenue Site.

I would also like to point out that the man who was appointed by former Alabama Gov. Robert
Bentley to fill the remainder of your term in the Senate Luther Strange as Attorney General
received $50,000 from Drummond Company in late 2014 and early 2015 during the height of events
surrounding the NPL and Pinson Valley Site. Rather than investigating possible public corruption
and bad behavior by Drummond and Balch & Bingham, Strange looked the other way and opposed
Gasps proposals to bring much-needed relief to the northern Birmingham communities at every
turn.

Alabama has been ravaged by public corruption in recent years. Meanwhile, real people are being
harmed by the toxic pollution spewing from industry in the northern Birmingham region. To avoid
any perception of impropriety, I must insist that you recuse yourself. Thank you for your
consideration.

Signed,

Michael Hansen
Executive Director, Gasp, Inc.

Cindy Lowry
Executive Director, Alabama Rivers Alliance

Jonathon Meeks
Chair, Sierra Club Alabama Chapter

Yohance Owens
Executive Director, Village Creek Human & Environmental Justice Society

Charlie Powell
President, People Against Neighborhood Industrial Contamination (PANIC)

Charles Scribner
Executive Director, Black Warrior Riverkeeper

Stephen Stetson
Senior Campaign Representative, Alabama Beyond Coal Campaign of the Sierra Club

Patricia Todd
State Representative, District 54

Chester Wallace
President, North Birmingham Community Coalition