The Alabama Department of Environmental Management has had a bad month.

First, a Mobile Press-Register report revealed how the agency was allowing local governments to permit poorly regulated landfills to pop up across the state. Now a group of 14 activist organizations is petitioning the Environmental Protection Agency to take away Alabama's authority to control water pollution.

Why? Because ADEM is not doing its job. In fact, it isn't protecting the public from those who pollute the water because the state Legislature won't let it.

Despite the criticism heaped on ADEM over the years, the agency is not an evil entity or the handmaiden of crass corporations that care only for their profits, the public be damned. Dedicated public servants work at ADEM; they would love to do what the public needs, but are hamstrung by the Legislature.

The blame goes to Goat Hill. Legislators are sent to Montgomery to protect the state's health and well being. They allocate money for the agencies that are set up to do what the government says is needed.

When the Legislature fails to adequately fund an agency, it can't do its job.

Like so many state agencies, ADEM is under-funded, so some sites go without inspections. Therefore, environmental organizations argue, the federal government should inspect the sites for water-pollution violations and issue fines as needed.

That is one solution, though one that surely would be unpopular with those who don't Washington meddling in Alabama affairs.

A better solution would be for the state Legislature to properly fund ADEM and let the agency do its job.

Granted, the economy's plight makes that a difficult suggestion. But even in good times, legislators on Goat Hill are reluctant to put money into environmental protection. They're quick to forget the responsibility of protecting Alabama's natural resources.

The reason's simple: The very corporations and interests that ADEM would inspect and regulate have powerful lobbies. Those interests convince legislators that given the choice between doing what is good for the public and good for the special interests, it is always better to take care of business.

Until legislators put needed distance between themselves and the lobbyists and place the public good first, ADEM will not be able to do its job.