Jun 26 Environment Incumbent Wins Shelby Energy Board Election Earlier this month, I wrote about Sonia McElroy. McElroy was vying for a seat on the board of Shelby Energy--an electricity cooperative that serves parts of Shelby, Trimble, Henry and Carroll counties. This was the first contested election in the co-op's history. It was being run according to the bylaws, but McElroy raised questions about whether the rules were fair and biased in favor of incumbents. By Erica Peterson Jun 26 Environment Incumbent Wins Shelby Energy Board Election Erica Peterson
Jun 25 Environment Study Outlines Barriers to Wind Energy in Kentucky Unlike its Appalachian neighbors, Kentucky has no large or small-scale wind farms. And a study says that’s only partly due to the state’s low wind potential. By Erica Peterson Jun 25 Environment Study Outlines Barriers to Wind Energy in Kentucky Erica Peterson
Jun 25 Environment Pike County Miner Killed in Accident A Pike County miner has died following an accident at the McCoy Elkhorn Coal Corporation's Mine No. 23 in Kimper. From the Kentucky Office of Mine Safety and Licensing:Preliminary reports indicate 33-year-old Farley Sargent was laying track when a rib roll occurred. A rib roll is when a portion of the coal pillar wall falls into the corridor. By Erica Peterson Jun 25 Environment Pike County Miner Killed in Accident Erica Peterson
Jun 25 Environment Ozone Levels Were Unhealthy Saturday, Sunday Air pollution monitors in Louisville registered high levels of ozone this weekend, as predicted.The area ranked a 114 on the Air Quality Scale--where anywhere from 101-150 indicates air that's unhealthy for sensitive groups. Ozone measured at 81 parts per billion--and the federal standard is 75 parts per billion.So far, the metro area has exceeded ozone standards four times this summer. By Erica Peterson Jun 25 Environment Ozone Levels Were Unhealthy Saturday, Sunday Erica Peterson
Jun 25 Environment Study Finds Natural Gas Workers at Risk for Silicosis There's not a lot of natural gas drilling in Kentucky, but nearby West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania have become hotbeds as the Marcellus Shale is tapped. By Erica Peterson Jun 25 Environment Study Finds Natural Gas Workers at Risk for Silicosis Erica Peterson
Jun 25 Environment Reducing Idling Could Lead to Fewer Air Quality Alerts So far this year, there have been ten days when air quality is forecasted to be bad in the Louisville area, and as the summer wears on there will be many more. The weather plays a big part in these days of unhealthy air, and pollution from industries contributes, too. But individual actions can also affect the air. By Erica Peterson Jun 25 Environment Reducing Idling Could Lead to Fewer Air Quality Alerts Erica Peterson
Jun 22 Environment Air Quality Alert Called For Saturday, Sunday Louisville’s Air Pollution Control District has called an Air Quality Alert for this weekend.The alerts this weekend are the ninth and tenth times this year the Air Pollution Control District has forecasted that ozone levels will be unhealthy for sensitive groups. But the alerts are forecasts—and the actual air quality has only been unhealthy twice so far.District spokesman Tom Nord says a mix of pollution and weather contribute to the poor air. By Erica Peterson Jun 22 Environment Air Quality Alert Called For Saturday, Sunday Erica Peterson
Jun 21 Environment Rubbertown Spill Releases 12 Pounds of Toxic Chemical into Air UPDATE 3:15 pm: Zeon Chemical's release of 12 pounds of butadiene yesterday morning was accidental. Zeon Vice President of Operations Bob Barlow told me that a gasket leak caused the release. The reportable amount of butadiene is 10 pounds, so this was just over the reportable quantity. By Erica Peterson Jun 21 Environment Rubbertown Spill Releases 12 Pounds of Toxic Chemical into Air Erica Peterson
Jun 21 Environment Want to Take a High-Speed Train to Atlanta? A consulting firm says a high-speed passenger rail line that connects Louisville with Nashville, Atlanta and Jacksonville, Florida could be feasible.According to consulting firm HNTB, there's enough demand for the line, which could cost anywhere from $11 billion to $43 billion.According to the Florida Times-Union: By Erica Peterson Jun 21 Environment Want to Take a High-Speed Train to Atlanta? Erica Peterson
Jun 21 Environment Arch Coal Will Reportedly Lay Off 500 Miners in Eastern Kentucky Eastern Kentucky news outlets are reporting that Arch Coal will lay off 500 miners across the region. By Erica Peterson Jun 21 Environment Arch Coal Will Reportedly Lay Off 500 Miners in Eastern Kentucky Erica Peterson
Jun 20 Environment California Reps to Kentucky Coal Operators: Pay Up Two California representatives want three Kentucky coal operators to pay the more than $1.5 million in fines they owe the federal government. By Erica Peterson Jun 20 Environment California Reps to Kentucky Coal Operators: Pay Up Erica Peterson
Jun 20 Environment WV Senator Votes Against Anti-EPA Resolution, KY Senators Don’t Follow Suit In an unexpected move, West Virginia Senator Jay Rockefeller addressed the Senate today to speak against a resolution that would register objection to the Environmental Protection Agency's upcoming restrictions on mercury emissions from power plants. By Erica Peterson Jun 20 Environment WV Senator Votes Against Anti-EPA Resolution, KY Senators Don’t Follow Suit Erica Peterson
Jun 20 Environment Yarmuth Co-Sponsors Bill to Study Health Risks Linked to Mountaintop Removal Third District Congressman John Yarmuth has signed on to a bill that would require an analysis of the health effects of mountaintop removal coal mining. The bill would also put a moratorium on new mountaintop removal mines until the practice is proven to be safe. By Erica Peterson Jun 20 Environment Yarmuth Co-Sponsors Bill to Study Health Risks Linked to Mountaintop Removal Erica Peterson
Jun 20 Environment McConnell Speaks on Senate Floor On EPA Regulations, Big Sandy Power Plant Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell addressed the Senate this morning on the Environmental Protection Agency's Utility MACT (or Maximum Achievable Control Technology) Rule, which would require power plants to control emissions of mercury and other toxic substances. McConnell's press office's Twitter feed offered a preview of his remarks: By Erica Peterson Jun 20 Environment McConnell Speaks on Senate Floor On EPA Regulations, Big Sandy Power Plant Erica Peterson