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Kentucky has more miles of running water than any other state except Alaska, according to state data. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Experts: KY’s drinking water, wetlands at risk

Kentucky has rapidly lost its wetlands over the past few decades, and advocates say the recent gutting of federal protections for marshes and other …

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…

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…

Population growth often drives excess nutrient pollution, which triggers toxic algae blooms in the Ohio River and in waterways across the United States. (Adobe Stock)

Activists Call on New EPA to Regulate Ohio River Pollution

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The Sierra Club is petitioning the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create nutrient standards for the Ohio River, on which …

Of 372 plant species that Kentucky lists as endangered, threatened or of special concern, 206 are conserved in state nature preserves and natural areas. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Pandemic Takes Toll on KY Nature Preserves

WINCHESTER, Ky. -- When state parks closed at the start of the pandemic, many Kentuckians ventured out to local nature preserves and natural areas…

Protesters rally to protect Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest in Bullitt County from a proposed natural-gas pipeline. (Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest)

Natural-Gas Pipeline Threatens Bullitt Co. Forest

Updated at 10am on 10/3/2019 to include: LG&E is requesting a land easement of 4,000 feet for the project, that would cross property on Bernheim …

Mammoth Cave National Park is one of four national parks in Kentucky in need of maintenance and upgrades. (Adobe Stock)

'Complete Overhaul' of KY’s Aging National Park Infrastructure Urged

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Eight in 10 registered voters support cleaning up and repairing the nation’s aging national parks, according to a poll …

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 …

A federal program that helps states and communities protect public lands could help create two new Civil War monuments in Kentucky. (@mccraydonna37/Twenty20)

Public Lands Bill Would Create Civil War Monuments in Kentucky

NANCY, Ky. – As part of a major package of public lands legislation, the U.S. House is set to vote on permanently reauthorizing a federal …

Kentuckians fighting pollution flowing into the Green River are concerned that weakened Clean Water Act protections could hurt their case. (PatrickRohe/Flickr)

Clean Water Act Rollback Could Stymie KY Pollution Fights

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Some Kentuckians are concerned that proposed changes to the Clean Water Act could set back the fight against waste and …

Environmental groups say the Ohio River is still plagued by pollution that threatens public health. <br />(Ken Lund/Flickr)

Groups Caution Against Ditching Ohio River Water-Quality Standards

FRANKFORT, Ky. — A commission that helps control water quality in the Ohio River is looking to shed some of its duties. For 70 years…

Many of the EPA regulations that Scott Pruitt scrapped or delayed as EPA administrator had not yet taken effect before his resignation. (Wikimedia Commons)

Government Watchdog Groups: Pruitt's EPA Exit "Long Overdue"

WASHINGTON – After allegedly overspending on everything from pens to lavish trips and accepting questionable deals from lobbyists, government …

New legislation aims to save species before they require the Endangered Species Act. The Indiana Bat is currently an endangered species in Kentucky. (Ann Froschauer/ Celley/USFWS)

New Legislation Takes Proactive Approach to Saving Species

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- What if states had the resources to prevent animals from ending up on the Endangered Species list? A bill introduced in Congress …

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 …

Conservationists are fighting back against attempts to gut new regulations that attempt to stop future pollution of streams such as this one that spills into the Kentucky River. (Tarence Ray)

Stream-Protection Rule Flows into Legal Battle

FRANKFORT, Ky. – A coalition of community and conservation groups is fighting back against attempts by state officials in Kentucky and 13 other …

A petition signed by nearly 10,000 people urges Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to pass legislation creating economic opportunities by reclaiming abandoned mine sites. (Vivian Stockman/Flyover SouthWing)

Grassroots Petition to McConnell: Get Moving on RECLAIM Act

LONDON, Ky. – A grassroots message is being sent to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell: it's time for swift action to pass legislation that …

This is the Red River, where nearly a half-century ago a flood-control project sparked controversy. (U.S. Forest Service)

Stopping the Red River Dam: It's Been Almost a Half Century

STANTON, Ky. – A pivotal moment in stopping a controversial plan to dam the Red River, part of which is now Kentucky's only National Wild and …

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

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 …

A map generated by Earthworks shows more than 151,000 Kentuckians live in the threat radius of oil and gas drilling operations. (Earthworks)

Map Shows Toxic Risks in KY From Oil and Gas Operations

FRANKFORT, Ky. - More than 151,000 Kentuckians live near an active oil or gas operation, what the environmental organization Earthworks, said is …

Retired journalist Jim Branscome, a native of Appalachia who covered the War on Poverty, has a plan for reviving the coal region's economy. (Joel Blocker)

"Restoration of Hope" Part of One Man's Plan for Appalachia

FRANKFORT, Ky. – With the decline of the coal industry in Appalachia, plenty of ideas are being raised on how to revive the region's economy…

Honeybee colonies in the United States declined dramatically last year, and advocates say that's not sustainable for agriculture. (USDA)

Trend of Fewer Bees in U.S. Continues

FRANKFORT, Ky. - U.S. beekeepers have reported losing 44 percent of their colonies over the last year, according to a new annual report. Tiffany …

Ideas for Kentucky's transition to a clean-energy economy are gathered at a public forum in Lexington. (Greg Stotelmyer)

Grassroots Ideas on Kentucky's Energy Future

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Listening to the voices of Kentuckians about the Bluegrass State's energy future is the idea behind a series of six dinner …

All national parks, including Mammoth Cave, are free this weekend for Earth Day and National Park Week. The U.S interior secretary is calling for increased funds to maintain the parks. (NPS)

Interior Secretary Decries Maintenance Backlog in National Parks

MAMMOTH CAVE, Ky. - Interior Secretary Sally Jewell has an Earth Day message for the United States, "make a major course correction on environmental …

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 …

The Russell Fork River, an outdoor gem on the Kentucky-Virginia border, is on a list of America's Most Endangered Rivers of 2016. (Steve Ruth)

Tourism, Mining and a River: Kentucky's Tightrope Walk

ELKHORN CITY, Ky. - The Russell Fork River, which carves a spectacular 52-mile path along the Kentucky-Virginia border, has landed on the list of …

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…

Conservationists want state lawmakers to restore funding cuts that the conservationists say have crippled land-conservation programs in Kentucky. (Greg Stotelmyer)

Conservationists Warn Budget Cuts Threaten Kentucky's Public Lands

FRANKFORT, Ky. - Conservationists are in Frankfort today, telling lawmakers that budget cuts are handcuffing efforts to protect public lands - land …

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 …

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 …

$Using water is a big part of high-volume fracking, so conservationists want the EPA to close a sizable loophole in the regulation of hazardous wastes from oil and gas drilling. Credit Greg Stotelmyer$

Challenges Regulating Fracking Wastewater "Cautionary Tale" in KY

FRANKFORT, Ky. - The Environmental Protection Agency largely has failed to regulate waste from oil and gas drilling, even though it admitted 27 …

The number of Appalachian towns and counties voicing support for a federal plan to help shift away from coal is growing. Credit: Greg Stotelmyer.

Number of Appalachian Communities Endorsing Coal Transition Plan is Growing

WHITESBURG, Ky. - It's now been more than a month since Whitesburg became the first town in Kentucky and the second in the nation to pass a …

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 …

Ideas for economic diversification flow in as coal production dips. Credit: Greg Stotelmyer.

Dollars Wanted for Diversifying KY's Coalfields Economy

HARLAN, Ky. - U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (D-PA 17th District) says "coal built this country" and now it's time to help those regions …

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 …

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 …

Thumbs up to the Endangered Species Act says new poll. Credit: John MacGregor/ Kentucky Bat Working Group.

Survey Shows Strong Support for Endangered Species Act

RANKFORT, Ky. - The Endangered Species Act turns out to be popular among voters, and in a positive way, according to a recent survey. Ninety percent …

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

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 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: Vacation plans on public lands could change dramatically if the push to turn federal lands over to state control succeeds, and there have been moves to do that in both the U.S. House and Senate. Photo credit: Greg Stotelmyer.

Control of Public Lands: Complications Ahead?

FRANKFORT, Ky. - Summer vacation adventures on public lands could change dramatically if the push to turn federal lands over to state control …

PHOTO: From Ashland to Paducah, and including all other Kentucky towns, you can now put a community's livability to the test. AARP has created an online livability index. Photo by Greg Stotelmyer.

Living in the Bluegrass State

FRANKFORT, Ky. – What makes a community livable might change depending on the age of the person giving the opinion. AARP has launched an …

PHOTO: A coalition of conservation and environmental groups are giving the Republican-led Congress a failing grade on protecting the nation's waterways and air. Photo credit: Greg Stotelmyer.

Kentucky's McConnell Gets "F" from Conservation Groups

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Republican-led Congress is receiving a failing grade from several national conservation and environmental groups. The …

PHOTO: A new accounting of greenhouse gas emissions finds oil, gas and coal extracted from federal lands accounts for more than 20 percent of carbon pollution emissions in the entire United States. Photo by Greg Stotelmyer.

Report: Public Lands Contributing to Greenhouse Gas Emissions

FRANKFORT, Ky. - A new accounting of greenhouse gas emissions shows more than 20 percent of emissions in the United States are the result of oil…

$PHOTO: A citizen picks up a sign in opposition to hydraulic fracking in Kentucky as she leaves an informational meeting about the technology. Photo by Greg Stotelmyer.$

Fears of Fracking In the Foothills of KY

BEREA, Ky. - Fears of fracking have reached the foothills of central and eastern Kentucky, prompting concerned citizens to quickly organize. …

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 …

PHOTO: Landowners on the routes of proposed pipelines have a good legal basis for denying pipeline companies permission to survey on their land, according to legal experts. Photo courtesy of Appalachian Mountain Advocates.

Kentucky Not Alone in Battles Over Pipelines

FRANKFORT, Ky. - It was less than a year ago a liquid natural gas (LNG) pipeline project in Kentucky called the Bluegrass Pipeline was stopped by …

$MAP: The path of the Tennessee Gas Pipeline through Kentucky. An energy conglomerate wants to repurpose the natural-gas transmission line to transport natural-gas liquids from fracking. Map courtesy Kentuckians for the Commonwealth.$

Another KY Hazardous Pipeline Project in the Works

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The alarm is ringing again for Kentuckians who already stopped one potentially hazardous pipeline project. Public backlash plugged …

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KY: Public Lands/Wilderness