May 23 Environment Louisville Moving Ahead Despite Bill To Delay New Ozone Standards The bill passed a U.S. House committee in a vote along party lines. Democrats on the committee objected to the bill, arguing it guts the Clean Air Act. By Erica Peterson May 23 Environment Louisville Moving Ahead Despite Bill To Delay New Ozone Rules Erica Peterson
Dec 25 Environment New Louisville Air Monitoring System to Give More Details on Ozone Contributors Louisville’s Air Pollution Control District is beginning work on a new air monitoring system that is designed to help pinpoint the causes of ozone pollution. Ozone is created when pollution cooks in sun. One type of pollution that contributes to ozone is volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. But some cause more harm than others. “All VOCs are […] By Erica Peterson Dec 25 Environment New Louisville Air Monitoring System to Give More Details on Ozone Contributors Erica Peterson
Dec 22 Environment Kentucky Petitions EPA to Reopen Public Comment for Clean Power Plan Kentucky regulators are petitioning the EPA to re-open the public comment period on the federal carbon dioxide rules that were finalized in June. The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet filed the petition Monday with the Environmental Protection Agency. It argues that the final version of the EPA’s Clean Power Plan is so drastically different from […] By Erica Peterson Dec 22 Environment Kentucky Petitions EPA to Reopen Public Comment for Clean Power Plan Erica Peterson
Dec 16 Environment Louisville Air District Approves $51,000 Fine for JBS Swift The Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control Board has approved a $51,750 fine for pork processor JBS Swift for violations at its plant in Butchertown. The agreed board order settles several permit violations. In a public hearing Wednesday before the board’s regularly scheduled meeting, Swift attorney Dennis Conniff told the board that the company had agreed […] By Erica Peterson Dec 16 Environment Louisville Air District Approves $51,000 Fine for JBS Swift Erica Peterson
Dec 9 Environment Kentucky’s New Energy Chief Described as ‘Pragmatic’ Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin’s pick to lead the state Energy and Environment Cabinet was praised Tuesday by a Lexington mining engineer, and one of Kentucky’s most prominent environmental attorneys was cautiously hopeful. Charles Snavely, a mining engineer and a former coal executive, was announced Monday as the next secretary of the Energy and Environment Cabinet. Most […] By Erica Peterson Dec 9 Environment Kentucky’s New Energy Chief Described as ‘Pragmatic’ Erica Peterson
Dec 3 Environment Kentucky’s Outgoing Energy Secretary Says State Must Take Action on Climate Change Len Peters, secretary of the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, will step down from his post next week, as Gov. Steve Beshear leaves office. Peters has led the cabinet since 2008. He’s a chemical engineer by training, and before working in state government he led the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. He’s also held […] By Erica Peterson Dec 3 Environment Kentucky’s Outgoing Energy Secretary Says State Must Take Action on Climate Change Erica Peterson
Dec 2 Environment Decision on JBS Swift’s Butchertown Lot Delayed Yet Again A decision on whether pork processor JBS Swift can continue to use a Butchertown parking lot for truck staging has been pushed back once again. Swift has been using the Cabel Street lot for about a decade; it’s where refrigerated trucks sit, storing pork from the nearby slaughterhouse. But Swift’s use of the lot wasn’t […] By Erica Peterson Dec 2 Environment Decision on JBS Swift’s Butchertown Lot Delayed Yet Again Erica Peterson
Nov 18 Environment Kentucky Should Prepare Plan For EPA’s Carbon Rules, Regulator Says In the final weeks of Gov. Steve Beshear’s administration, state regulators and legislators haven’t closed the door on the possibility that Kentucky will create its own plan to comply with upcoming federal carbon dioxide regulations. Len Peters, secretary of the Energy and Environment Cabinet, spoke Tuesday before a special legislative task force made up of lawmakers and industry […] By Erica Peterson Nov 18 Environment Kentucky Should Prepare Plan For EPA’s Carbon Rules, Regulator Says Erica Peterson
Nov 16 Environment Methane From Landfill to Power Part of Toyota’s Georgetown Plant Early next month, Toyota’s Georgetown plant will begin harnessing gas from a nearby landfill to provide some of the facility’s electricity. The project is based at the Central Kentucky Landfill, which is about seven miles from the Toyota plant. Methane — a potent greenhouse gas — is created in landfills when organic material decomposes. For the […] By Erica Peterson Nov 16 Environment Methane From Landfill to Power Part of Toyota’s Georgetown Plant Erica Peterson
Nov 12 Environment Kentucky Energy and Environment Head Resigning The Secretary of Kentucky’s Energy and Environment Cabinet has officially submitted his resignation to Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear. Secretary Len Peters’ last day in his position will be Dec. 7, which is also Beshear’s last day in office. Peters’ resignation isn’t a surprise; as the head of a cabinet, his position is one that is typically […] By Erica Peterson Nov 12 Environment Kentucky Energy and Environment Head Resigning Erica Peterson
Nov 9 Environment Kentucky Environmental Sanctions Plummet Under Beshear Part I of a two-part investigation. Read Part II here. Acrid smoke blanketed a neighborhood off Dixie Highway in Southwest Louisville on an unseasonably warm fall day last November. For more than 24 hours, a 30-foot-tall pile of tires burned at Liberty Tire, a tire recycling center on Bohannon Avenue. Those living within a mile […] By Erica Peterson Nov 9 Environment Kentucky Environmental Sanctions Plummet Under Beshear Erica Peterson
Oct 27 Environment Kentucky’s Energy-Related Carbon Emissions On a Downward Trend Kentucky is one of 37 states where carbon dioxide emissions fell over the first 13 years of the century, according to a new federal data analysis released Tuesday by the Energy Information Administration. In 2013, Kentucky emitted about 6 percent less carbon dioxide from its energy sector than it did in the year 2000. The […] By Erica Peterson Oct 27 Environment Kentucky’s Energy-Related Carbon Emissions On a Downward Trend Erica Peterson
Oct 17 Environment Indiana Program Aims to Replace Polluting Wood Boilers With Renewable Energy A coalition of nonprofits in Indiana is targeting outdoor wood-fired boilers in an attempt to improve the state’s air quality. The Hoosier Environmental Council, the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest and other partners are offering grants to homeowners who burn wood outdoors to heat their homes. The grant money will pay to replace […] By Erica Peterson Oct 17 Environment Indiana Program Aims to Replace Polluting Wood Boilers With Renewable Energy Erica Peterson
Oct 15 Politics West End Residents Say Methane Plant Opposition About History, Not Technology West Louisville residents are organizing against a proposed biodigester plant, where organic waste would be converted into methane gas. The efforts come as Louisville Metro officials — including Mayor Greg Fischer — and the energy company behind the proposal work to educate the community about the technology. Despite the push to spread information about the […] By Ashley Lopez Oct 15 Politics West End Residents Say Methane Plant Opposition About History, Not Technology Ashley Lopez
Oct 12 Environment Rally, March Planned In Louisville For National Climate Day of Action Louisville climate activists will rally on Wednesday as part of a larger national climate day of action. The national group People’s Climate Movement has designated Wednesday as a day of action, and the Louisville march and rally will tie with it. Mark Steiner of the Louisville non-profit Cultivating Connections said climate change issue should concern […] By Erica Peterson Oct 12 Environment Rally, March Planned In Louisville For National Climate Day of Action Erica Peterson