Kentucky’s water monitoring program is designed to meet both federal and state objectives. In measuring the water quality of rivers, streams, and reservoirs, the Division of Water can determine when standards are not met, identify particular hazards and sources of impairment, and support the development of programs and practices which promote the health of Kentucky’s water resources.
Larry George, who monitors Hinkston Creek in Montgomery County, is ready to pass his dissolved oxygen kit – and his knowledge – to a new generation. After 25 years, he says it’s time to help in other ways. Read more in the latest edition of Land, Air and Water.
If you asked Kentucky Division of Mine Reclamation Enforcement InspectorJason Keaton why he decided on that Monday morning Feb. 12, to go down a dead-end logging road to inspect a mining site, he probably couldn’t give one, other than divine intervention.
After an inspection found several hundred feet of sunken track in 2019, the Big South Fork Scenic Railway temporarily shut down. This not only disappointed riders but impacted the region’s tourism dollars. Now, with funding and design work from Kentucky’s Division of Abandoned Mine Lands, it’s full steam ahead.
the Division of Oil and Gas (DOG) had identified and overseen the plugging of 18 wells on a wildlife area that had been closed to the public.
Due to this, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources will soon make available for public recreation more than 500 acres in the Rockcastle River Wildlife Management Area (WMA).
The holidays are about spending time with friends and family, giving thanks, and wrapping up the year. Unfortunately, many common holiday traditions have the potential to increase the amount of pollution we release into the environment.
To reduce your impact this holiday season, implement all or a few of the following suggestions.
As days shorten and temperatures drop, Kentuckians prepare lawns and gardens for winter. Whether fertilizing or raking, this is a great time to economize while protecting waterways from excess nutrient runoff.
Kentucky watershed professionals have an updated tool available to them this fall as they prepare to write their watershed plan applications. Read more in this latest addition of LAW.
Hemlock, beech and several species of oak make up the more than 2,300 acres of old-growth forest in Blanton Forest State Nature Preserve. It’s one of the largest old-growth tracts in the United States and the largest in Kentucky.
The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet’s (EEC) Office of Energy Policy (OEP) has formed the Hydrogen Work Group to take advantage of the U.S. Department of Energy’s $8 billion program to build a country-wide network of regional hydrogen hubs.
Kentucky has some of the nation’s lowest electricity rates on average, but energy bills aren’t affordable for every Kentuckian.
To address this, in 2021 the Office of Energy policy gathered committed individuals from state agencies, utility companies, and nonprofits and launched its Energy Affordability Work Group.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kentucky Government Recycling Section (KGRS) was selling an average of 2.3 million pounds per year of paper and cardboard.
Now, that number hovers around 1.5 million.
Read more about recycling post-pandemic in this latest addition to LAW.
Read more about this new video series made in partnership with the Kentucky Division of Water’s Nonpoint Source and Basin Team highlights the value of restoring native vegetation along Kentucky’s waterways.
A multi-county community science event, involving sanctuary staff, state residents, and retired and current Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet biologists, yields new discoveries
The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet’s new solar site suitability tool spotlights the renewable energy and economic potential of old mine lands like the project in Martin County.
Longtime Kentucky Division of Forestry collaborator honored for wildfire preparedness and prevention.
Read of how the community of Horse Cave Kentucky, the American Cave Conservation Association and a program through the Kentucky Office of Nature Preserves boosted the town’s tourism by protecting a natural resource – Hidden River Cave.
Kentucky produces 95 percent of the world’s bourbon and what we do with the spent grain byproduct is important for protecting our environment. Read more about what innovating teams are proposing.
By Robin Hartman Larry Caudill thought this weekend’s men’s basketball league would be just like most of the others he’s attended and officiated – a fun community event, with a few jokes and some sideline comments. But things turned serious when his friend Rick Wooton suddenly asked for help to stand. “I turned around and […]
Read more about how Kentuckians can protect downstream neighbors and wildlife by using innovative natural approaches to mitigate floods and prevent erosion.
Prompted by the projected population growth in Warren County and Bowling Green, and the potential for limited water supplies, the Kentucky Division of Water (DOW) and Bowling Green Municipal Utilities (BGMU) have carried out a plan to provide a more reliable water supply to accommodate growth while balancing competing uses and water quality standards.
A dozen members from the Energy and Environment Cabinet’s Division of Waste Management Field Operations Branch and Recycling and Local Assistance Branch helped local volunteers from Friends of the Tug Fork River, AmeriCorps, West Virginia’s Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), and Williamson Parks and Recreation Commission remove about 500 used tires in the eastern Kentucky Appalachian community of South Williamson.
In 2010, the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection began the state’s largest and most expensive urban residential cleanup of toxic chemicals to date.
Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet’s (EEC) drone team is soaring to new heights, finding new uses for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) seemingly each month. Made up of pilots from the divisions of waste management, water and abandoned mine lands, the team recently showcased their drones at a showing for fellow #TeamEEC members.
Protecting watersheds is one of the most important ways to ensure reliable, safe drinking water.
Read how a Kentucky water district protected its watershed for nearly 17,000 Kentuckians
Nearly 300 million waste tires are generated each year in the U.S.; four million in Kentucky alone.
Even so, Kentucky’s Division of Waste Management (DWM) sees a growth potential for RMA.
Since 2016, the agency has been helping local governments fund road resurfacing projects using RMA.
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary, located just south of Lexington, teems with biodiversity.
On June 2, Energy and Environment Cabinet and Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves personnel hiked a portion of the 346-acre nonprofit nature preserve.
Three Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) Pilot program grants will soon ease many of the challenges eastern Kentuckians face to receive advanced medical care.
The projects will have an immediate impact on families locally and in the surrounding region. The economic boost will not only create jobs, but it will remove the barriers to quality health care, which too many eastern Kentuckians face.
By Clay Wallace Beneath a grassy hill, just 10 miles northwest of Morehead, lies more than 4.5 million cubic feet of radioactive waste – enough to fill 64 Olympic swimming pools. The original 280-acre site is nearly indistinguishable from any of the other fields atop the flat ridges […]
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