Environmental Watchdog

The Kentucky Division of Waste Management has denied a pending permit for a coal ash landfill in Trimble County. The proposed landfill would have been 218 acres, near Louisville Gas and Electric’s Trimble County Power Station. It was meant to store the coal ash produced by the plant, but ever since it was first proposed, the project has encountered numerous problems.

A new health study in Eastern Kentucky has found that residents in a county where surface mining is prevalent have a higher instance of illness than residents in two control counties. West Virginia University professor Michael Hendryx analyzed information from 952 adults in Eastern Kentucky.

Asian carp is an invasive species of fish that can devastate aquatic ecosystems and, as they have a propensity for leaping out of the water, injure boaters. And once they've gotten into a river or lake, they're nearly impossible to get out. But for two days this week in Western Kentucky, teams of commercial fishermen tried. They descended on two lakes to catch as many Asian carp as possible. It was a tournament sponsored by the commonwealth and it was called…Carp Madness.

The Kentucky Mine Safety Review Commission has ruled that a coal miner who reported unsafe conditions won’t be punished for breaking the law. Mackie Bailey worked at Manalapan Mining’s P-1 Mine in Harlan County. He says he was told to work without the necessary safety features on his roof bolting machine, and he did, because he was afraid he would lose his job if he refused. He eventually came forward and reported the situation to the state. Even so, he faced punishment for operating the machine in the first place.

Kentucky is in for a bit of unsettled weather over the next several days as winter shifts into spring. A possible mix of rain, thunderstorms, snow showers and temperatures ranging some 30 degrees - from the upper 20s to the mid-50s - dominate the forecast. “It’s a roller coaster,” said Scott Hickman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio.

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 National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for Northern Kentucky beginning at 11 a.m. today and continuing until 1 p.m. Wednesday. Three to 5 inches of snow along with some ice is possible. Rain will mix with snow late this afternoon and then change over to all snow tonight.

Today is the official start of the tornado season. Kentucky led all states in 2012 with 23 tornado fatalities - the result of tornadoes that struck several locations around the state on March 2, 2012. Many experts say that preparedness is the key to avoid being a tornado fatality.

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.

American Electric Power has agreed to stop burning coal at several coal-fired units in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio. The company reached a settlement today with a coalition of environmental groups, several states and the Environmental Protection Agency.

White Nose Syndrome has been found in two Kentucky state parks. State officials announced today that infected bats have turned up in caves at Carter Cave State Resort Park in Carter County and the Kingdom Come State Park Nature Preserve in Letcher County. White Nose Syndrome is caused by a white fungus, and is deadly to bats. Since 2006, the fungus has been found in 21 states. The disease has killed more than 6 million bats in four Canadian provinces and 19 states, including Kentucky. It was discovered in Mammoth Cave last month.

It will be partly sunny today across most of Kentucky and the high will flirt with 60 degrees. But rain is likely in many areas of the state during the overnight hours with a low in the upper 30s. Friday morning could see more showers but it could turn mostly sunny by the afternoon with a high of near 45, according to the National Weather Service.

Louisville Gas and Electric could pay up to $250,000 to settle alleged safety violations that stemmed from a natural gas explosion in southern Jefferson County a year ago. The December 2011 natural gas explosion in southern Jefferson County destroyed a house, damaged several nearby properties and killed a dog. In the settlement, LG&E will pay $125,000 to the Public Service Commission. Another $125,000 in penalties is suspended pending the company’s completion of several remedial measures. The penalties are the highest ever assessed by the PSC in a safety case.

Much of the state could see a wintry mix of rain and snow later today and tonight. Just traces amounts of snow are possible, according to the National Weather Service. We could see some sunshine on Tuesday with highs in the upper 30s. It could be in the low 40s by Wednesday.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer has released the long-awaited draft version of the city’s sustainability plan. It’s an ambitious list of ways the city wants to be greener, but some of the goals and initiatives will be difficult to measure. The plan is broken up into six sections: energy, the environment, transportation, the economy, community and engagement. It sets out 19 main goals that the city wants to achieve, and sets deadlines for most of them.

The National Weather Service offices in Louisville and Jackson have issued winter weather advisories. Predictions are that anywhere from a half-inch to 2 inches of snow could fall tonight and early Friday morning, the weather service said.