Environment
Kentucky’s Coleman joins other GOP attorneys general in challenging Biden power plant rules
Kentucky’s chief law enforcement officer has joined Republican attorneys general from 24 other states in challenging new federal rules aimed at curbing water pollution and nearly all greenhouse gas emissions from existing coal-fired power plants and newly constructed gas-fired power plants. A news release from Kentucky Republican Attorney General Russell Coleman on Thursday said the […]
Still awaiting noise relief, some rural Kentuckians point to Arkansas’ new crypto mining law
Nine months after a suspected cryptocurrency mine moved into her previously quiet part of Wolfe County, Brenda Campbell says noise canceling blankets installed by the operator are not helping and she still doesn’t know where to turn for relief from the constant, intrusive whirring. Wolfe County Judge-Executive Raymond Banks agrees the noise blankets haven’t been […]
In some parts of the U.S., the grid of the future might be closer than you think
A little more than two years ago, a clean energy record was broken. For the first time, a regional transmission organization met more than 90% of its electric demand, called load, with renewable power. But if you don’t follow the electric industry closely, you might be surprised where it happened. On March 29, 2022, Southwest […]
Avalanche of aid could help Kentuckians reinvent mountain economy
CORBIN — Eastern Kentucky is about to get an avalanche of federal and state money to help it transition from its largely disappeared coal economy, but some of its towns are already lifting themselves up and setting examples for the region. That was the upshot of the 36th annual East Kentucky Leadership Conference in Corbin, […]
Documentary about Ohio River’s history and current challenges to debut on KET
A Louisville filmmaker is debuting a new documentary showcasing the rich history of the Ohio River and the future challenges it faces on Kentucky’s public television broadcaster.? The one-hour documentary called “This Is The Ohio” features the travels of filmmaker Morgan Atkinson and his 981-mile journey along the river from the confluence of the Mississippi […]
Bourbon County recycling center is ‘righting a wrong’ for a predominantly Black neighborhood
PARIS — When David Downey retired from the Navy in 1968 after serving in three wars, he came back to where he grew up, a home on the west side of Paris, Kentucky. But three years before he returned, a trash incinerator had been placed in his neighborhood, too.? “The stench from it was ridiculous,” […]
Kentucky AG gets funding to fight Biden administration on climate, air and water pollution rules
When Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman told state lawmakers in January about the budget needs of his office, Rep. Patrick Flannery, R-Olive Hill, asked if he needed more resources to address a “regulatory avalanche” regarding a “green agenda” coming from the federal government.? Coleman, a Republican, said his office would welcome them, saying there was […]
New federal rules aim to clean up toxic coal ash, including nearly a dozen sites in Kentucky
Kentucky is one of a minority of states that produces most of its electricity by burning coal. A byproduct of that legacy today: creating millions of tons of what’s known as coal ash, a waste from burning coal containing a slew of toxic metals that’s often stored by utilities and power producers in impoundment ponds […]
New?EPA rules will force fossil fuel power plants to cut pollution
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday released a sweeping set of rules aimed at cutting air, water and land pollution from fossil fuel-fired power plants. Environmental and clean energy groups celebrated the announcement as long overdue, particularly for coal-burning power plants, which have saddled hundreds of communities across the country with dirty air and […]
Kentucky land conservation fund gets ‘new lease on life’ from lawmakers
Over the past three decades, a state-managed fund has been a financial force behind the creation and expansion of parks, nature preserves and hunting grounds across Kentucky.? The Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund, established in 1990 to provide a consistent source of funding for local governments, state agencies, nonprofits and universities to protect land for […]
‘Forever chemicals:’ Now that feds have acted, some say Kentucky should do more
FRANKFORT —? Rep. Kevin Bratcher, a Louisville Republican, says he wants to be on the right side of history when it comes to the man-made “forever chemicals” that are in Kentucky’s waterways, fish and some Kentuckians’ drinking water. He likens the widespread presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS for short, to lead poisoning. […]
Kentucky to receive $62 million to expand solar energy access to low-income households
The Environmental Protection Agency is awarding a more than $62 million grant to Kentucky’s state government to help expand residential solar energy to low-income households, one of dozens of awards given across the country as a part of a federal grant competition.? The “Solar for All” competition, funded through the Inflation Reduction Act, is allocating […]