Fairhope woman led crusade to remove toxic coal ash from Mobile

 Fairhope woman led crusade to remove toxic coal ash from Mobile

A free screening of the locally produced award winning documentary Sallie’s Ashes will be held at the Gulf Coast Eco Center in Gulf Shores on May 15 from 6-7:30 p.m. in the facility’s Palmetto Room. There will be a Q&A session held afterwards. This is a FREE event, but registration is required due to limited seating. It will also be shown at Graham Creek Interpretive Center, in Foley on April 30 at 6 p.m. More info: visit MoveTheAsh.com.
The documentary honoring a Fairhope environmentalist’s final fight for the Tensaw Delta won the Best Short on Sustainability award at the 2026 Environmental Film Festival.
It chronicles the late Sarah “Sallie” Smith’s final crusade to protect Mobile Bay from toxic coal ash at Plant Barry. The 80-year Smith battles terminal lung cancer while rallying fellow retirees, Diane Thomas and Savan Wilson as they launched the Coal Ash Action Group.