Environment
More than 100 ‘orphan’ wells in Daniel Boone National Forest to be plugged, remediated with federal money
A new influx of federal money is planned to plug and remediate more than 100 abandoned oil and gas well sites in the Daniel Boone National Forest, a part of a broader effort to address so-called “orphan” wells on federal lands and waters across the country.? A release Thursday from the U.S. Department of the […]
Kentuckians warned about poor air quality from Canadian fires
Poor air quality from Canadian fires prompted a warning Thursday about potential negative health effects for Kentuckians. Air pollution can negatively affect a person’s health, according to Rachel Keith, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Louisville and the director of human studies at the Envirome?Institute as well as an advanced practice registered […]
Mammoth Cave National Park expansion proposed by McConnell, Guthrie
A 980-acre expansion of Mammoth Cave National Park is in the works. U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell and Rep. Brett Guthrie on Tuesday unveiled legislation that would allow the park? to acquire “critical habitat” within the Green River watershed from The Nature Conservancy. “The property includes numerous cave passages, including Coach Cave and James Cave that […]
Decarbonization ambitions ignite debate over mining, permitting
The decarbonized, electrified future envisioned by the Biden administration, state governments, automakers, utility companies and corporate sustainability goals depends to a huge degree on minerals and metals. Lots more lithium will be needed for car and truck batteries, as well as the big banks of batteries that are increasingly popping onto the electric grid to […]
Mountain Valley Pipeline approvals OKed as part of debt ceiling deal
The controversial 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline, which would carry natural gas from shale fields in West Virginia to southern Virginia, received federal support for completion Thursday after the U.S. Senate approved a debt ceiling deal that includes a provision requiring fast-tracked approvals for the project, despite opposition from some members of Virginia’s congressional delegation. Both […]
U.S. Supreme Court rejects Biden wetlands regulation, ruling for Idaho couple
The U.S. Supreme Court in a major environmental decision on Thursday overturned the Environmental Protection Agency’s definition of wetlands that fall under the agency’s jurisdiction, siding with an Idaho couple who’d said they should not be required to obtain federal permits to build on their property that lacked any navigable water. All nine justices agreed […]
Toyota to buy power from planned Martin County solar installation on former surface coal mine
Japanese car manufacturer Toyota says it plans to purchase 100 megawatts of power from a 200-megawatt solar installation in Martin County being built on a former surface coal mine and brownfield site.?? Toyota in a Wednesday news release stated the multi-billion-dollar company would use the solar power to offset some of its carbon emissions. Toyota […]
EPA narrows loophole by expanding regulation of coal ash dumped at power plants
The Biden administration is taking steps to address a regulatory loophole that public interest groups said allowed at least a half-billion tons of toxic coal ash to go unregulated. The Environmental Protection Agency published a new draft rule last week that the groups said would extend federal oversight to much of the coal ash disposed […]
Workers forced to clean up TVA coal ash spill without personal protection settle with company
After 10 years of litigation, workers who were forced to work without personal protection to clean up the Tennessee Valley Authority’s massive coal ash spill at its Kingston Fossil Plant in 2008 have reached a settlement in the case. TVA’s disaster clean-up contractor Jacobs Engineering posted a one-line notice Monday on its website affirming that […]
Overhaul federal permitting as part of the debt limit deal? Not as easy as it sounds.
Congressional leaders negotiating a deal to avoid a catastrophic default on the nation’s debt are talking about including an overhaul of how the federal government reviews projects for their environmental impact. There is bipartisan support for changes to the lengthy environmental approval process among climate-minded Democrats eager to speed construction of renewable energy projects, as […]
Speedier permitting of energy projects gains bipartisan backing on U.S. Senate panel
Members of both parties on the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voiced their support Thursday for reforming the federal process for approving energy projects, saying it should be prioritized to secure domestic energy supply and boost renewable energy. There is bipartisan interest in revising the permitting process and members of both parties have […]
EPA again proposes power plant carbon rules
The Obama administration’s 2015 Clean Power Plan — intended to cut carbon emissions from power plants — was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. The Trump administration’s much-criticized replacement, the Affordable Clean Energy rule, derided as a “tortured series of misreadings” of the U.S. Clean Air Act, was also tossed by a federal court. […]