A Busy and Exciting Summer

Written By Lane Boldman

So what does the Kentucky Conservation Committee do when the legislature is not in session? Well, first off, while the pace of legislative activity is certainly slower in the summer, KCC regularly monitors legislative committee meetings through the end of the year for the benefit of the partner groups we work with, and we keep them informed of developments that may impact their work. But YOU can also follow committee meetings by tuning in to the Legislative Research Commission's YouTube channel.  The Interim committee calendar can be found here. Summer is also a great time to visit with your lawmakers. We work with our constituents and partner groups to meet with their lawmakers year around. If you have an issue you wish to present to your lawmakers, we are always glad to assist you. Just contact us!

Recent Highlights: On July 18th, the Interim Joint Committee Natural Resources & Energy received detailed presentations on the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and a discussion of the US EPA's rule on Greenhouse Gas Standards for fossil fuel-fired power plants. As you may recall, during the 2024 regular session, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 349 which was intended to significantly restrict or prevent the retirement of fossil fuel electric generating resources and the federal Greenhouse Gas rules will certainly put pressure on lawmakers to speed up the energy transition away from fossil sources. Lawmakers commented on the concerns over the feasibility of being able to sequester carbon as would be required by the EPA standards. You may view the entire session at the link below (LIHEAP presentation at minute 5 and Greenhouse Gas rules presentation starts at minute 24):

But we do much more than simply monitor the legislature. Throughout the year, the Kentucky Conservation Committee participates in many state government committee meetings, particularly those under the Energy and Environment Cabinet. We monitor the activity and participate in state teams on a wide range of issues impacting Kentucky’s air, land and water.

 For some time now, we have been engaged on several issues including many questions on regulating injection wells that would be necessary to sequester carbon, including impacts to surface landowners and subsurface geology, working with state employees and oil and gas representatives. Last week, a litigator for the Kentucky attorney general disputed the role of carbon dioxide emissions in warming the climate, despite near-total agreement among scientists. See the Kentucky Lantern story here.

And we continue to monitor the progress of programs to clean up our land and water, such as the state’s orphan well program. Research has shown that oil and gas wells contribute to air and water pollution, with nearby communities often bearing the greatest impact. Orphaned wells lack a financially responsible party to plug them and financial responsibility is often placed on the public as a result. A study from researchers at McGill University and PSE Healthy Energy provides tools to help identify where orphaned oil and gas wells pose the greatest climate and environmental risks. More info here. These orphaned and abandoned oil and gas wells are scattered throughout the Commonwealth, so if you know of wells to report, contact OrphanWells@ky.gov.

We have also been working with state agencies and communities on programs such as the federal Solar for All grants, as well as many discussions over providing more energy efficiency programs, working with several utility providers. We have also been working with many of our partners and community groups, such as helping the Kentucky Sierra Club build out their in-district lobby program, or working with teams to drive public engagement as part of the K4ED collaborative. So while this is traditionally our “slow” time outside of the legislative session, it has most certainly not been slow.

These are just a very few of the activities that KCC is addressing over the Summer and beyond, to keep our members and allies informed about developments happening in our state government. If you have particular issues of interest, or wish to have a presentation from KCC to your civic groups, don’t hesitate to reach out. Just contact us! And we would like o take a moment to thank the Washington County Democratic Women’s Club for inviting us to present to their members last weekend.

Thanks, KCC Members for Commenting on Regional Haze

We want to thank all our members and supporters who submitted comments on the regional haze impacts to Mammoth Cave National Park. We want to thank the partnership from our friends at the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) who has been working with KCC and other allies on this important issue. Kentucky environmental groups, including KCC, signed on to comments drafted by our friends at the Kentucky Resources Council with the support of NPCA.

This Year’s KCC Wild and Scenic Films Announced!
Tickets on Sale Now—join us on August 30th

We are all ready to host this year's screening of the Wild and Scenic Film Festival!  We have selected a dozen exciting short films year, including films to excite hikers, birders, kayakers, cyclists and all types of outdoor enthusiasts. And of course, our advocacy work to protect the environment is front and center of this roster of films. Tickets are already available through our website, so it’s not too early to save your space! And our Foundation will be hosting a Silent Auction once again, which is already live and we are continuing to accept donations! (If you have an item or two to donate, you can use this link to donate items to the silent auction.) We are offering this year's screening as an in-person event at Lexington's Farish Theatre, and we are also offering the films virtually if you can't join us in person. Our thanks to our title sponsor this year, Republic Bank.

Other Upcoming Events:

Lane Boldman
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