Environment

Louisville man fined for bringing infected deer head into Kentucky

BY: - May 8, 2023

A Louisville man brought the intact and infectious head of a deer from Wisconsin into Kentucky, the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources said Monday.? The department is seeking civil damages in a first of its kind suit, the department announced in a statement.? That’s because the 8-point buck’s head tested positive for the […]

Would her family’s financial stake in the coal industry affect Craft’s actions as governor?

BY: - May 8, 2023

As the two have vied for the GOP nomination for Kentucky governor, Kelly Craft has frequently attacked Daniel Cameron because as attorney general he supported closing a coal-fired power plant in West Virginia to avoid burdening Kentucky ratepayers with the cost of required upgrades to the more than 50-year-old Mitchell plant. What Craft doesn’t say […]

Western Kentucky wildlife refuges receive nearly $18 million to buy land for waterfowl habitat

BY: - April 28, 2023

Two wildlife refuges in Western Kentucky will receive almost $18 million from a federal commission to buy thousands of acres to protect waterfowl habitat in the state.? A release Thursday from the U.S. Department of the Interior stated the Migatory Bird Conservation Commission awarded almost $11.4 million to the Green River National Wildlife Refuge in […]

How flood cleanup left Kentucky disaster victims feeling violated and vulnerable

BY: and - April 27, 2023

This article is republished from the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. On a steamy day in August, Don Young dug through the rubble that used to be his home. He was desperately trying to salvage the most precious possessions representing the life he’d made in the Letcher County community of McRoberts. Floods last July ravaged […]

If your Kentucky ‘farm’ is smaller than 5 acres, you now need a license to hunt or fish on it

BY: - April 25, 2023

It was a small change in a 48-page bill that became law during this year’s legislative session. Senate Bill 241, sponsored by Sen. Robin Webb, D-Grayson, mainly sought to give the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources the power to acquire perpetual conservation easements for 54,000 acres of land in Southeastern Kentucky.? That aspect […]

Wildfire at Natural Bridge state park in Eastern Kentucky is ‘100% contained’

BY: - April 24, 2023

A wildfire at an Eastern Kentucky state park that has been burning for about a week has been “100% contained” by firefighters from local, state and federal agencies.? A social media post Monday from the Kentucky Division of Forestry stated the wildfire at Natural Bridge State Resort Park was contained to 125 acres and that […]

Kentucky one of four states passing up federal money to plan for climate change

BY: - April 20, 2023

Kentucky’s state government will be unable to compete for $4.6 billion from the federal government to reduce heat-trapping greenhouse gasses because it is one of only four states that did not apply for up to $3 million to create a climate action plan through a new grant program.? A spokesperson for Kentucky’s environmental agency said […]

Wildfire at Natural Bridge state park spreads to more than 100 acres

BY: - April 19, 2023

State forestry officials say a wildfire at an Eastern Kentucky state park that was ignited on Monday has spread to more than 100 acres, the terrain of the area making it difficult to contain the blaze.? A Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet release Wednesday stated a wildfire at Natural Bridge State Resort Park, which was […]

Kentucky has fourth-most chemical plants subject to proposed new curbs on toxic emissions

BY: - April 19, 2023

This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. It is republished with permission. Sign up for their newsletter here.? The administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency recently used the smokestacks of Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley” as the backdrop to announce new rules aimed at […]

Wildfire that closed trails at Natural Bridge state park is under investigation

BY: - April 18, 2023

Federal and state forestry officials say dozens of firefighters are responding to contain a small wildfire at an Eastern Kentucky state park that was ignited late Monday, closing all trails and nearly all parking lots at the park. A release Tuesday afternoon from the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet (EEC) stated the five-acre fire was […]

EPA sued over failure to set, update pollution limits

BY: - April 12, 2023

More than a dozen environmental groups are suing the federal Environmental Protection Agency over its failure to set water pollution limits for some industrial contaminants as well as its reluctance to update decades-old standards for others, arguing that the agency’s inaction amounts to a “free pass to pollute” for hundreds of chemical and fertilizer plants, […]

Inside the battle over who gets to build the grid of the future

BY: - April 6, 2023

The U.S. Department of Energy issued a draft report in February that found a “pressing need” for new electric transmission infrastructure across the country to improve reliability, connect a rapidly growing number of solar, wind and battery storage projects, supply increasing electric demand and alleviate scattered pockets of consistently high prices across the country. To […]