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At least two thirds of plastics plants examined in a new Environmental Integrity Project report (32 of 50) that have been built or expanded over the last decade have received tax breaks or subsidies from state and local governments worth a total of nearly $9 billion. (Adobe Stock)

KY plastics plant ranks in nation's top ten emitters of chlorine

A western Kentucky plastics plant is among the top 10 emitters of chlorine air pollution, according to a new report by the Environmental Integrity …

The group Appalachian Voices has partnered with 16 community groups and two universities to deploy around 80 monitoring devices to track air quality in communities throughout Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. (Adobe Stock)

New EPA clean air rules to help strengthen air monitoring in KY

Groups working to improve air quality in Appalachia are applauding the Environmental Protection Agency's decision to strengthen ambient air quality st…

In 2023, the USDA Forest Service and AmeriCorps signed a five-year agreement to establish the Forest Corps, which aims to create job opportunities to reduce wildfire risk, support reforestation and make national forests and grasslands healthier and more resilient. (Adobe Stock)

Climate Corps initiative could speed up reforestation of abandoned mine lands

A Biden administration program called the American Climate Corps aims to hire and train 20,000 people in conservation, climate and clean energy jobs…

Natural-gas emissions from stationary sources led to more deaths than coal in at least 19 states, according to research from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (Adobe Stock)

Utility Proposes Building Two New $1.4B Natural-Gas Plants in Kentucky

Kentucky's major utilities, Louisville Gas & Electric and Kentucky Utilities, are asking the state's Public Service Commission to approve a plan to …

The Congressional Budget Office puts the 2018-2023 Farm Bill price tag at around $428 billion. (Adobe Stock)

A KY Push for Regenerative Farming in Next Farm Bill

People's wallets continue to feel the impact of high food prices, and local environmental groups say sustainable food systems and regenerative …

An attempt to build a $500 million federal prison in Letcher County was defeated in 2019 because of strong local opposition. (Adobe Stock)

Proposed East KY Federal Prison Would Have Devastating Environmental Impacts

After Republican Congressman Hal Rogers inserted language into the latest House appropriations bill which would bypass environmental regulatory proces…

An aerial view of farmland on the Sisters of Loretto land in Kentucky (Loretto Community/Neil Tucker)<br /><br />

Sisters of Loretto Permanently Preserve 650 Acres of 'Holy Land' in Kentucky

By Brian Roewe for Earthbeat.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for Kentucky News Connection for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Service…

Research from 2015 revealed a federal estimate of more than 48,000 abandoned coal mine sites across the nation, but exact numbers remain unclear. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Possible Link Between Flood Risk, Abandoned Mine Land Brings Urgency to Reclamation Efforts

The impact of abandoned mine land on flood risk is receiving new scrutiny after devastating floods in the eastern part of the state left 40 people dea…

Kentucky has a backlog of more than 1,000 abandoned mine land sites that qualify for federal assistance for cleanup. (Adobe Stock)

Looming Uncertainty Over Future of Abandoned Mine Land Cleanup

WHITESBURG, Ky. -- Congress has allowed the Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) program to expire, and advocates said nationwide on both state and tribal …

A 2015 Clean Air Act rule requires refineries to clean up benzene emissions when annual concentrations of this cancer-causing pollutant exceed the EPA's action level of 9 micrograms per year. (Adobe Stock) <br />

Oil Refineries' Benzene Pollution a Concern in Eastern KY

CATLETTSBURG, Ky. - A Marathon oil refinery in eastern Kentucky is emitting benzene into the air at levels higher than what the federal …

The drinking-water supply for an estimated 200 million Americans is likely contaminated with forever chemicals known as PFAS, according to the Environmental Working Group. (Adobe Stock)

KY Advocates Say ‘Forever Chemicals' Pose Health Risk

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is slated to receive $75 million to jumpstart toxicity studies of industrial chemicals …

It's estimated the United States is saddled with around $11.4 billion in costs to clean up abandoned coal mine sites nationwide. (Adobe Stock)

Pandemic Spurs Renewed Abandoned-Mine Cleanup Efforts

WHITESBURG, Ky. -- This week, state officials announced the start of several new grant-funded, abandoned-mine land projects in Eastern Kentucky…

Every year, the Kentucky Public Service Commission receives hundreds of applications from utility companies to increase rates and change services. (Adobe Stock)

Eastern KY Residents May Face Higher Utility Bills

WHITESBURG, Ky. -- Eastern Kentuckians soon may see their monthly utility bills go up by more than twenty dollars, if a proposed rate increase by …

Research has shown spending time in nature during early childhood can shape a person's views and enjoyment of the outdoors into adulthood. (Adobe Stock)

KY Environmental Groups Focus on Diversity in Outdoor Spaces

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Environmental advocates and outdoor enthusiasts across the state are focusing on inclusion and diversity in hiking, camping and …

Twenty-nine percent of Kentucky's mine permits are involved in seven coal bankruptcies. (Adobe Stock)

Who Cleans Up Environmental Mess Bankrupt Coal Leaves Behind?

WHITESBURG, Ky. -- As more coal companies file for bankruptcy, it remains unclear what will happen to hundreds of thousands of acres of unreclaimed …

Thousands of abandoned coal mine sites remain scattered throughout Appalachia. (Adobe Stock)

Report Identifies Redevelopment Projects for Abandoned Coal Mine Sites

WHITESBURG, Ky. – A coalition of groups in central Appalachia has identified projects that would clean up and re-purpose 19 abandoned coal-mine …

Letcher County residents and environmental groups have stopped the building of a proposed $510 million prison on reclaimed land. (Adobe Stock)

Letcher County Residents Stop Proposed Federal Prison on Coal Mine Site

WHITESBURG, Ky. — Local activists in Letcher County have forced the Federal Bureau of Prisons to withdraw its intent to construct a new $510 …

According to a new report, 91 percent of U.S. coal-fired power plants are contaminating nearby groundwater with unsafe levels of toxic pollutants. (Jellybeens4/Twenty20)

KY Groundwater Pollution from Coal Ash Among Worst in U.S.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A power plant outside of Louisville ranks among the top 10 most polluted in the country for groundwater contamination by coal …

Airborne micro-particles from surface mining are believed to be linked to a variety of health problems. (@F51C/Twenty20)

Congress Questions Cancellation of Surface Mining Health Study

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Democratic lawmakers are probing the reasons why a National Academy of Sciences study on the health effects of surface coal …

The deepest point of the Ohio River runs through Louisville, Ky. (William Aden/Flickr)

Kentuckians Defend Ohio River Quality Standards

FRANKFORT, Ky. — A long-awaited vote is expected this week on the future of water-quality standards that impact nearly two-thirds of Kentucky's …

More than 40 members of Congress have joined young people calling for a Select Committee for the Green New Deal. (Linh Do/Flickr)

KY Youth Make Climate Change a 2019 Priority

FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Sunrise Movement, a youth movement calling for action on climate change, is set to make big moves in 2019. At the end of …

Support for groups that fight for clean air and water, and other conservation concerns, has grown among Kentuckians since the 2016 election. (Greg Stotelmyer)

Uptick in Support for Kentucky Environmental Groups

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Kentucky's signature conservation groups are reporting an uptick in membership, fund-raising and volunteerism. The increased …

Kentuckians will be among the tens of thousands of people at Saturday's Women's March on Washington. (Sierra Club/SergeyIT/iStockphoto)

Kentuckians Headed to DC for Women's March

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Donald Trump will be greeted by a massive, grassroots human rights rally during his first full day in office as president …

An opponent of a plan to re-purpose a natural gas pipeline which crosses through Kentucky shows a group of citizens the pipe's path in one neighborhood. (Greg Stotelmyer)

Pipeline Regulator Accused of Being Cozy With the Industry

FRANKFORT, Ky. – A spate of proposed gas pipeline projects, including one in Kentucky, is bringing sharp criticism that the federal permitting …

$Documents show low level radioactive waste was dumped into a Kentucky landfill from fracking operations in Ohio and West Virginia. (Sierra Club)$

Documents Show Loopholes, Questionable Business Practices Create KY Fracking Waste Problem

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Behind the low level radioactive waste dumped in a Kentucky landfill are regulatory loopholes and questionable business …

$The controversy over waste illegally dumped in a Kentucky landfill from out-of-state fracking operations has made its way to a legislative committee hearing in Frankfort. (Sierra Club)$

Fallout from Unauthorized Dumping of Fracking Waste in KY

FRANKFORT, Ky. - The fallout continues from the unauthorized dumping of fracking waste from West Virginia into a Kentucky landfill. Nearly 2,000 …

The disposal of low-level radioactive waste derived from Marcellus and Utica shale in Kentucky landfills is raising red flags. (EPA)

Red Flags Raised Over Radioactive Frack Waste Company

FRANKFORT, Ky. - The paper trail of a company that dumped West Virginia radioactive frack waste into Kentucky landfills is raising serious questions…

Red flags signal opposition to a proposed natural gas liquids pipeline project in Kentucky. (KFTC)

Opposition to Pipeline Project Popular Earth Day Theme in KY

MARION COUNTY, Ky. – Kentuckians opposed to re-purposing a pipeline to transport natural gas liquids are using Earth Day this week as a …

Environmental activism is flourishing in Kentucky's communities of nuns, a commitment the sisters describe as a sacred trust. (Laura Michele Diener)

"A Sacred Trust" - Nuns and Kentucky's Land

MARION COUNTY, Ky. - Environmental activism is flourishing in communities of Roman Catholic nuns stretching from the Bluegrass to Appalachia…

Reducing emissions from burning coal is a focus of the Clean Power Plan. Some legal experts say the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court could lessen the chances the court will derail the plan. (Greg Stotelmyer)

What's Next for Clean Power After Scalia’s Death?

FRANKFORT, Ky. - The sudden passing of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia could change the balance on the high court with regard to the Clean …

The global climate change deal reached over the weekend in Paris is expected to impact the future of Kentucky's coal-based economy. (Greg Stotelmyer)

Sierra Club Chief: "Dramatic" Turning Point in Climate Change Battle

FRANKFORT, Ky. – The head of the Sierra Club says the new climate agreement among 196 countries, including the United States, is a "dramatic …

Conservation groups in Kentucky say a settlement with a coal company over water pollution sends a strong message about the need for enforcement. Credit Alex DeShay/Sierra Club

Citizens Groups: Settlement with Coal Company Sends Message About Pollution

FRANKFORT, Ky. – A coalition of citizens' groups that exposed thousands of Clean Water Act violations at one coal company's surface mining …

A new report says a clean-energy economy could create tens of thousands of jobs in Kentucky, but only if the proper policies are in place. Credit: Secure Futures

Going Green in the Bluegrass State

FRANKFORT, Ky. - A clean-energy economy will benefit the environment and the wallets of Kentuckians, according to a new report from NextGen Climate …

A federal court has blocked the use of an insecticide that beekeepers said was killing their honeybee colonies. Credit Greg Stotelmyer.

Court Ruling Backs Bees Against EPA

SAN FRANCISCO - Beekeepers, their bees and consumers scored a win on Thursday after a federal court overturned the Environmental Protection Agency's …

New federal regulations on pollution from surface mining, known as the Stream Protection Rule, are the focus of a public hearing tonight in Lexington. Credit: Vivian Stockman. Flyover courtesy SouthWings.

Hearing in Kentucky on New Coal Mining Pollution Rules

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement will hold a public hearing in Lexington tonight about a …

Whitesburg first in Kentucky. to pass a resolution supporting the Power Plus Plan. Credit: Art of the Rural.

POWER+ Plan Picking up Steam in KY

WHITESBURG, Ky. – Support for the Obama administration's plan to revitalize Appalachian communities suffering from the loss of coal mining jobs …

Advocates for cleaner air say those living closest to coal-fired power plants will benefit the most from the EPA's new pollution rules. Credit: Chris Jordan-Bloch/Earthjustice.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

Power Plant Neighbors Hoping for Cleaner Air

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – As the Obama administration's 15-year plan to cut carbon emissions by nearly one-third begins, an American Lung Association …

Conservationis hail the first federal limits on carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants, but Kentucky's governor is not happy. Credit: Greg Stotelmyer.

KY Conservationists Pleased with New Pollution Rules; Governor is Not

FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Obama administration has finalized the first-ever federal limits on carbon pollution from power plants, setting a goal of …

$Concerns over fracking in Kentucky have produced large turnouts at public meetings, including this one earlier this year in Berea. There's another meeting on oil and gas development tonight in Hazard. Credit: Greg Stotelmyer.$

Test Drilling Intensifies Calls for Ban on Fracking in KY

HAZARD, Ky. - Eastern Kentucky has become ground zero for testing of potential high-volume, hydraulic fracturing in the state. Tonight in Hazard…

$As the amounts of water used for hydraulic fracturing increase across the country, some Kentuckians are are urging the state to update its oil and gas regulations. Credit: Greg Stotelmyer.$

As KY Explores Deep-Well Fracking, Conservationists Watch the Water

FRANKFORT, Ky. – The amount of water used in hydraulic fracturing is increasing across the nation, with the Marcellus and Utica shale …

$Landowners concerned about the impact of deep-well fracking in Kentucky are displaying signs like this one as the state moves forward with the controversial method of oil and gas drilling. Credit: Greg Stotelmyer.$

Public Comment Sought About Fracking in Kentucky

BEREA, Ky. – Bracing for a boom in deep-well fracking, state lawmakers revised Kentucky's regulations on oil and gas production in March…

PHOTO: The nation's highest court has ordered a more detailed look at the costs of the EPA's new toxic emissions standards on coal-fired power plants. Photo credit: Greg Stotelmyer.

High Court Tells EPA to Consider Power Plant Emissions Costs

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Saying the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should have considered the costs of tougher emissions standards on the power …

PHOTO: Structural and efficiency upgrades to affordable multi-family housing could save money and reduce energy usage. Photo by Rudy Matthews Photography and Lloyd Wright for the National Housing Trust.

Money and Energy Savings Waiting in Affordable Housing

FRANKFORT, Ky. - Basic upgrades of affordable housing will result in a huge energy efficiency payoff, according to two new studies from the National …

PHOTO: The EPA's new rule clarifies which waterways are covered by the Clean Water Act. Conservation groups say it should be a step forward for Appalachia. Photo courtesy Wild Virginia.

Controversial New Federal Water Rule "Modest Progress"

FRANKFORT, Ky. - The Obama administration has released a new rule clarifying which waterways are covered by the Clean Water Act. Many area …

PHOTO: About two-thirds of the crude oil shipped by rail in the United States is transported in DOT-111 tank cars. A lawsuit alleges they aren't sturdy or safe enough for that purpose, and asks the U.S. Department of Transportation to ban their use for oil shipment. Photo by Greg Stotelmyer.

Groups Want Unsafe Rail Tank Car Banned

FRANKFORT, Ky. - Oil is being shipped across the country in train cars that even the government says are unsafe, and two environmental groups are …

PHOTO: Mounds of coal ash are seen at a disposal site in Jefferson County, located near a residential area. Environmental and public health groups are anticipating first-ever EPA restrictions that classify coal ash as a hazardous substance. Photo credit: Thomas Pearce.

Waiting for EPA to Clamp Down on Coal Ash

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Federal rules about the storage and disposal of coal ash are expected from the Environmental Protection Agency this week. Kentucky …

PHOTO: Oil and gas developers don't have to pay royalties on fuel they extract from public lands, including national forests. A new report says that fuel was worth $380 million. Photo by Greg Stotelmyer.

Report: U.S. Loses Out on Royalties from Drilling on Public Land

BEREA, Ky. - Oil and gas developers are getting a sweet deal for their projects on public land, according to a new report that says taxpayers are …

GRAPHIC: Proximity to a high-risk chemical facility is part of the school day for 19.6 million kids who attend schools in so-called vulnerability zones, including two out of every five in Kentucky, according to a new report. Image courtesy of Center for Effective Government.

Report: A Third of KY Kids Face Risk of Chemical Catastrophe

FRANKFORT, Ky. - It's supposed to be a safe place to learn, but a new report finds that two out of every five Kentucky children attend schools …

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KY: Environmental Justice