Smokestack

A new bill signed into law by Governor Steve Beshear last week clarifies the rules that regulate biomass plants in Kentucky.

The bill gives additional guidance to the Public Service Commission on how to regulate biomass plants that sell power to a utility in Kentucky, with one particular project in mind: a biomass plant outside Hazard. Construction on the plant—owned by Lexington-based ecoPower—is expected to begin on the plant sometime this year.

The Environmental Protection Agency has found more signs of toxic chemicals in properties near the former Black Leaf Chemical plant in Louisville’s Park Hill neighborhood. This brings the total number of contaminated properties to at least 69.

Without some additional grant funding, the air toxics monitoring run out of the University of Louisville will have to scale back next year.

The Department of Labor is sending more than $5 million to Eastern Kentucky to help laid-off coal miners and their families. $5,192,500, to be exact.

The federal government announced the emergency grant today. In a press release, the agency said the money would go to providing re-training for miners and their spouses.

Last week, on International Polar Bear Day, WFPL and the Louisville Zoo hosted a discussion about polar bears and climate change in WFPL's studio. The panelists were:

President Obama has nominated Gina McCarthy to succeed Lisa Jackson as the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and Ernest Moniz as his new energy secretary.

The across-the-board federal cuts known as the sequester went into effect Friday and will remain until Congress and President Obama can reach a deal on the budget. And those cuts could have a significant effect on environmental enforcement in Kentucky.

A former mine company executive in West Virginia pleaded guilty today to federal charges stemming from the 2010 disaster at Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch Mine. David Hughart was the Massey division president overseeing the mine when it exploded, killing 29 coal miners.

From U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin's office:

Wednesday is International Polar Bear Day, and the Louisville Zoo and WFPL are marking the occasion with a panel discussion about wildlife and climate change. The panelists include: