Environmental Watchdog

For years, biologists have analyzed fish tissue to gauge the water quality in rivers. But in the Ohio River, researchers are now looking at bugs, too. Ryan Argo and Jamie Wisenall are standing in the shallows of the Ohio River, just outside Owensboro. With long nets, they reach towards the river bottom, scooping up the sediment.

In increasing numbers, scientists are in agreement that the earth’s climate is changing, and human carbon dioxide emissions are contributing to those changes. A NASA climate scientist was in Louisville this weekend to talk about the growing evidence. Gavin Schmidt is a climate scientist at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies. He says scientists have exhaustively studied the numerous signs of climate change—like warming oceans, melting glaciers—and then compared them to the fingerprints of different things. Like, are all these events being caused by sun brightness? Or volcanoes? He says they’ve narrowed it down, and the only culprit left is increases in carbon dioxide emissions.

Some 16 central Kentucky arts projects are receiving government support to further an environmental message.  This year’s Eco-Art grants cover everything from performances, to photographs, to sculptures.  Each has an environmental theme.  Lexington Mayor Jim Gray says the Eco-Art program helps the city creatively connects citizens with the environment.

The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet is close to settling a lawsuit with a coal company over water pollution in eastern Kentucky. The cabinet filed a status report earlier this week that proposes $575,000 in fines for International Coal Group, and expects to finalize the settlement soon.  The case involves several environmental groups too, including Appalachian Voices and Waterkeeper Alliance.

Louisville Gas and Electric has had another equipment malfunction at its Cane Run plant, which released clouds of coal ash yesterday evening. The sludge processing plant is the machine that takes the coal ash and mixes it with other materials to turn it into a concrete-like substance, so it can be put into the landfill. A video shot by Greg Walker, who lives across the street, shows clouds of ash rising above the plant—and over the dust screen the company installed in April.

Work continues on a multi-million dollar disposal facility designed to eliminate chemical munitions stored at the Bluegrass Army Depot.  Under the current Army timeline, actual destruction of nerve and mustard gas agents is set to start in 2020.  As technology improves, Chemical Weapons Working Group Director Craig Williams says  ‘neutralization’ will remain their preferred method of disposal.

The National Weather Service office in Louisville is predicting severe thunderstorms for Central Kentucky tonight and into the overnight period. A squall line is forecast to hit the Interstate 65 corridor around midnight tonight and move into the Bluegrass region of the state around 2 a.m. EDT Saturday. The weather service says the main danger will be from damaging winds.

Remnants from Hurricane Isaac will travel from Louisiana to Arkansas, then north to Missouri by Friday. Bands of rain could hit parts of Kentucky beginning Friday but the heaviest rain in Kentucky is expected from Friday night through Sunday night, the National Weather Service office in Louisville said.

The Obama Administration has announced new fuel economy standards for cars and small trucks that will go into effect in five years. Starting in 2017, cars and light trucks will have to be more fuel efficient than they are now. By 2025, the average car’s fuel economy will be 54.5 miles per gallon. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson says the program will allow consumers to pick a car that meets their needs, but also give them a choice of greater fuel efficiency. She says the program will have a huge effect on reducing greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide.

Wondering how much carbon dioxide is being emitted in your country, state, county or Congressional district? I  just came across a cool database produced by CARMA (Carbon Monitoring for Action) that has all of that information.

A new tactic to reduce litter is under exploration in Lexington.  Currently, people who trash city streets may face criminal charges.  But, council member Peggy Henson, who serves on the ‘Keep Lexington Beautiful’ Commission, says a new state law allows the city to levy civil penalties.  “What we have found through our research is that if a person is charged with littering, most of the time it is thrown out in court, not always, depending upon the amount of litter,” said Henson.

A federal judge has ruled that the Tennessee Valley Authority is responsible for a massive coal ash spill near Knoxville in 2008.

Last week, there was huge news for the coal industry. Kentucky coal producers signed a deal to export up to nine million tons of coal a year for the next 25 years, to the reported tune of $7 billion. I’ve already covered why the deal is good news for struggling Appalachian coal producers (but not good enough news to turn the industry around), the extent of Rep. Keith Hall’s involvement, and what the increased coal exports could mean for the environment. But now I’m hearing conflicting opinions about why this deal actually happened in the first place, and whether or not it makes sense.

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet officials told Jessamine County residents Tuesday that environmental and other factors are being taking into consideration in the I-75 connector project. More than 300 people turned out for the workshop held at East Jessamine Middle School. Many of those in attendance were against the connector road and offered various reasons why.

A three-judge panel has voted two to oneto strike down a new rule from the Environmental Protection Agency that would require some states to reduce pollution that travels across state lines. This puts the EPA in a difficult position.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated another 68 Kentucky counties, including Jefferson, as drought disaster areas. With the new drought declaration, Bell, Harlan, Leslie and Perry counties are the only Kentucky counties not officially in a drought. These counties are all clustered in the southeast part of the state.

A lot more contaminants are being found in water from the Ohio River these days — and some of them might surprise you. "The last numbers I saw ... caffeine was the No. 1 thing that was showing up," Henderson Water Utility General Manager Bruce Shipley said during a public hearing Monday. "I forget what the numbers were, but it would take 10 cups of coffee to equal the amount of caffeine that you would be getting in a cup of water. That is the most prevalent, highest level of contaminant that's being seen at this point."