Fight against controversial Alabama quarry hitting the silver screen

Copyright AL.com

A short film documenting the fight against the quarry under construction in Belle Mina will hit the silver screen on Friday in Fairhope. Residents of the community are featured in the 15-minute film “Undermined” that will be shown at 2 p.m. Friday at the University of South Alabama Baldwin County Campus Library along with other films about environmental issues in Alabama. The film will also be shown during the Festival of the Cranes in Decatur at 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 10 at the Alabama Center for the Arts Recital Hall. It is also available online. “It’s an excellent opportunity to tell our story in a way that gives voice to the people that are most directly affected,” Belle Mina Methodist Church Pastor Cody Gilliam told AL.com. “The filmmakers did such a great job interviewing and capturing our little community on film.” The film was produced by Southern Exposure, a film fellowship program that raises awareness about Alabama’s natural resources and important environmental issues. Documentary film maker Lily Huffman served as the film’s director. “It accurately depicts our community,” Gilliam said. Gilliam is featured in the film. He is one of the leaders of the fight against the quarry on Mooresville Road less than a mile from the heart of the southeastern Limestone County community. “It was a little surreal, if I’m honest with you, to see myself on the big screen,” he said. “They were a joy to work with.” Residents featured in the film discuss what they feel are the harmful effects of the quarry on the community, which is predominantly Black with a lot of low-income families. The concerns aired include the impact of dust in the air and in the water from the blasting, the noise, as well as the possibility of structure damage to homes and the lowering of property values in the community. The film also addresses possible harmful effects on the environment, including on the tributaries of Limestone Creek and groundwater. Also featured in the film is Sarah Stokes, senior attorney from the Southern Environmental Law Center. The law center became involved in the fight when other efforts by community members and legislators failed. The center represents members of the community in lawsuits referenced by the film with the Belle Mina Methodist Church sign “Another Day, Another Lawsuit.” There are currently two court cases involving the quarry fight. Belle Mina Methodist, New Beginnings Covenant Ministries and residents Brad Vice and Nina Perez filed suit against quarry owners Stoned LLC of Huntsville, Grayson Carter & Son Contracting of Athens, Elephants R Us LLC and Landquest Properties LLC in Limestone County Circuit Court last year. A hearing for a preliminary injunction is scheduled for Jan. 7-8, 2026 with the trial set for April 21, 2026. The corporation set up by the owners, Elephants R Us, is suing Belle Mina Methodist and New Beginnings Covenant Ministries, Gilliam and Mitchell-Frazier Farms Partnership Limited in Hamilton Superior Court in Indiana. The plaintiffs claim the defendants interfered with a lease contract between Elephant R Us LLC and Stoned LLC, which is owned by the same family. Elephants R Us is asking for $1.6 million in damages plus attorney’s fees and costs. They filed suit in Indiana because of the publicity about the quarry fight. The Southern Environmental Law Center has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. No ruling has been issued on the motion.