Environment

The Metropolitan Sewer District board will consider its annual budget for the next fiscal year as well as a proposed 6.5 percent rate increase during a special session Monday.

Last week, Mayor Greg Fischer announced his support for an MSD, Louisville Water Company merger, which was recommended by a task force earlier this year. The possible savings from merger could be anywhere between $14 million to $24 million, according to an outside audit firm.

MSD director Greg Heitzman says a merger could eventually translate to cost-savings for customers and lower rate increases.

Louisville’s first Compressed Natural Gas, or CNG, station will be unveiled Wednesday near the city’s international airport and officials are encouraging both businesses and individuals to make the switch to the cleaner fuel alternative.

This will be the first CNG station in Louisville, and only the second in Kentucky. 

CNG burns cleaner than gasoline, but the vehicles that use it often cost more. That hasn’t stopped investment from companies like Waste Management, which plans to add 25 CNG vehicles to its Louisville fleet this year.

After reviewing task force recommendations for over two months, Mayor Greg Fischer says he supports the consolidation process between the Metropolitan Sewer District and the Louisville Water Company, but a full merger is not set in stone.

A new report out today provides new information about the connections between commonly-used chemicals and the prevalence of diseases. Groups that advocate for safer chemicals are using the data to lobby for updates to federal legislation.