“Make it pay to save” was the phrase of the night Thursday when more than 50 people came to a public hearing with the Berea City Council on proposed electricity and water rate changes. Under a recent proposal, the base-rate, which is paid by all customers regardless of how much they use, for electricity would increase by 70 percent. The base-rate for water would increase 34 percent. Also under this proposal is a declining per unit rate for water used by commercial and industrial customers, which means that unit rate would decrease after they use more than 1,800 cubic feet of water.

The proposed changes stem from a consultant group report released this May, examining Berea Municipal Utilities. KFTC members in Berea have taken the position that the proposed changes not only harm fixed-income households, but they also discourage conservation by rewarding people who use more.

 
Bill Stolte has led the charge for the Madison County KFTC chapter in learning more about the proposal and sharing his research. Giving a presentation at the hearing, Stolte displayed a chart showing that residential customers who use the least amount of water and electricity will have the steepest rate increase with the largest users experiencing a declining rate.

Thirty-six percent of all water users pay only the minimum. These are the people who will take the biggest hit,” said Stolte. “Base rates should be kept to a minimum. Unit rates should be adjusted to promote conservation. It should pay to save for commercial and industrial users just as it should for residential users.

Among the many concerns addressed by citizens at the hearing was the impact that our dependence on coal-fired power has on the environment.

I feel it is important that we as a community do everything to conserve because we are blowing up our homeland and destroying communities that are paying the real price for our so-called cheap energy. -Teri Blanton

 
The hearing went on for more than two hours, and by its end, more than a dozen community members had addressed the Council. Mayor Steve Connelly said that a vote on the proposal is not expected before June 17^th.

 
Citizens have another chance to voice their concerns with the proposal at a follow-up public hearing, scheduled for this upcoming Monday, June 2^nd, at 6 p.m. in the Berea Municipal Building.

For more information about the hearing, check out this article in today’s Richmond Register.

Montgomery Creek residents and other KFTC members used the permit conference process to send a strong message to the Kentucky Department of Natural Resources and International Coal Group that community members will shine a light on any company attempting to break the law or take advantage of local families.

After the company trespassed and destroyed a portion of the Sumner property in 2006, family members wanted to ensure that the company planned to only reclaim the land—not continue mining on it.

I think they got the message that ICG is not allowed to come on the Sumner land again.  We wanted to make sure that the company doesn’t make another “mistake.  Even though the boundaries were clearly marked, the company still denied trespassing on purpose.  I was really surprised that they actually apologized for trespassing on our land,

-Maude Sumner Campbell

Even though the state wanted to limit people’s comments solely to the additional acreage, residents maintained the importance of previous company practices, the cumulative impact of the mining, and the harassment residents are getting for standing up to protect their property.  People asked why the state would even consider permitting additional acreage when previous violations have not been addressed.  Objections were also raised about adding an additional valley fill when the water quality data from the area indicates high levels of heavy metals, and there are over 1,600 acres and 9 other valley fills available for waste disposal. 

 KFTC members from all across the state participated in our non-partisan Voter Empowerment campaign leading up to the May 20th primary election to register, educate, and mobilize thousands of voters and strengthen our democracy.

Thirty-two percent of registered Kentucky voters showed up to vote in the election, smashing the previous record of 26.5 percent turnout in 1992.  These numbers included 43 percent of Kentucky's registered Democrats (many excited about the long presidential primary they had a rare opportunity to influence) and 18.9 of registered Kentucky Republicans. 

We’ve collectively built a database of thousands of voters we’ve registered, and other voters we’ve had contact with over the last few years and play a key role in our democracy by getting them non-partisan information about where candidates stand on issues.  Our “Voter Guides” have responses straight from the candidates, and we got thousands of them into people’s hands to help them make decisions. 

Apart from our powerful statewide voter guide, many KFTC chapters organized voter guides for local races and got them out in their communities, including races for city governments and Kentucky legislative races.

We put all of the information from the voter guides online at www.Kentuckyelection.org, as well, and encouraged people by phone, email, and online networking sites like Facebook to visit.

The voter guides were useful, because it’s the candidates in their own words, unfiltered, talking about issues that I really care about – not just the talking points from some campaign commercial.  This kind of basic information is necessary for our democracy and I’m glad we help get it out.” - Central KY member Danny Cotton

Having registered and educated thousands, KFTC members then made sure that they got out and voted, reminding people by phone, community events, door-knocking, email, and also much more creative means.  More than 4,500 people also pledged to vote through KFTC’s Facebook page.

 
- In Madison County, chapter leaders called hundreds of other members to remind them to vote over several solid days of phone banks.

- In Lexington, KFTC members called our lists for a week leading up to the election, gave rides to the polls, passed out information, and ran several sound cars around town on election day to remind people to vote.  “It was really great and really fun.  People definitely noticed us and reacted,” said Jenn Myatt, one of a dozen members who used the sound car throughout the day.

Former felons (who lose their right to vote in Kentucky) spearheaded voter mobilization calls in Lexington on several days, participating in the democratic process through the votes of others.  KFTC's close allies at the Lexington chapter of People Advocating Recovery were especially active.

We’re an asset to this democracy, not a liability.  If my feet were on the ground in my home state of Texas, I’d be allowed to vote in the election, but my feet are on the ground in Kentucky, so I can’t.  We need to change things so that former felons can participate all the way in the democratic process by voting – but until then, we’ll participate in other ways like this.” - Howard Jones, a former felon, KFTC and PAR member.

 - Knott County chapter members did a phone bank to publicize the KFTC candidate forum, amongst other activities.

- In Perry and Harlan County chapters did voter registration efforts at in many places and a distributed a local voter guide for the 84th district. A dozen volunteers from both chapters helped put together the mailing.  They also publicized a local candidate forum and distributed KFTC local voter guides there.

- In Bowling Green, members made calls over the course of a week (even one on vacation and from out of the state), knocked doors, ran a sound car around town to remind people to vote, and also a parade of bikes with “Vote” signs to creatively get people's attention.  

“KFTC wants people to raise their voices, and it worked! People really raised their voices!” reflected an excited Greg Capillo, in response to local voter turnout numbers in neighborhoods the chapter worked in.  

At one point, KFTC member Dana Beasley Brown was leading a pack of a dozen bikers through one of the busiest intersections in town.  At two opposite corners were the Obama campaign folks and the Clinton campaign folks, each trying to out-shout the other. As the KFTC crew blew through, bullhorning "Just VOTE!" someone from the Clinton camp yelled out, "Yeah, that should be what we're saying.  It doesn't matter who you vote for, just vote!"

- Pike County members conducted voter mobilization phone banks and registered lots of voters  at the Hillbilly Days festival.

- In Northern Kentucky, KFTC members lead by former felons who couldn’t vote called hundreds of people who had signed KFTC petitions.

KFTC’s Voter Empowerment Campaign in the primary election was sizable, but nothing compared to what members have planned leading up to the General Election on November 4th.  We’ll contact 15,000 voters three times each and will develop a system of “Community Captains” to mobilize friends and neighbors with a deeper connection.

Watch the calendar and volunteer.    

Are you ready to vote?  Today, citizens across the state will be going to the polls to vote in Kentucky's primary election.   Candidates at all levels of government, from local races all the way to presidential nominees, will be voted on, narrowing the field for the General Election in November.  Needless to say, this is an important election, and we want everyone to strengthen oue democratic system by voting today. 

Along with working to increase voter turnout, part of our Voter Empowerment campaign is to educate voters on where candidates stand on the issues and what sorts of policies they would enact if elected.  To this end we are also encouraging all of our members and friends to visit our election website at www.KentuckyElection.org.  There you'll find candidates' responses to a survey of issues important to KFTC members.

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

If you don't know where your polling place is, you can look it up here.

If you have any other questions, please contact your local county clerk or call Dave Newton, our Voter Empowerment Organizer, at 859-420-8919.

Thank you, and please vote!

Residents of Montgomery Creek in Perry County are resisting efforts by International Coal Group (ICG) to add more than 200 acres to its already 1,600-acre mountaintop removal mining operation that has caused them endless hardship, sleepless nights and considerable property damage. They invite other KFTC members to join them for a permit conference on Wednesday as they make demands of the state and the coal company so that their homes and quality of life will not be further diminished.

Mostly, Montgomery Creek residents say they would just like to be treated with respect.

One of ICG's targets, McKinley Sumner, returned to his family's homeplace a few years ago to care for his parents in their last years. He and other family members have consistently said NO to ICG efforts to get them to sell out, including company attempts to divide family members. McKinley even spent a considerable amount to have the land surveyed and the boundary clearly marked. Then in August 2006, ICG trespassed on the Sumner land and stole a portion of the land - literally stole it, it's no longer there. Where McKinley's mountaintop should be is a great void that drops 150 feet to ICG's mining pit.

Although there is no dispute of ICG's thievery, the company has still not been fined by the state.

ICG has consistently been a bad neighbor to other residents by damaging people's property with poor blasting practices, impacting water quality, and creating dust problems. Since filing for this permit amendment, this company has also harassed other residents about property boundaries.

Residents want to see changes in the way this company operates. At the permit conference they will be asking that ICG be required to:

• respect people's property boundaries
• stop harassing residents to continuously expand the mining operation
• stay away from community cemeteries
• use blasting techniques that do not shake people's homes
• not bury any more streams with valley fills (they already have 1,600 acres to dispose of their mining wastes)

In order to do some cosmetic repairs, the company has included the portion of the Sumner land in the permit application. Family members want assurances that ICG will be allowed to come on this land only to reclaim, and want to know how the state will enforce this as it is not possible for McKinley, now 75 years old, to climb to the top of the mountain every day. The company already has posted permit signs further onto McKinley's land than they have indicated in the permit, and have not been very forthcoming about all of this.

Action:

Residents would appreciate people's attendance at the conference to send a message to ICG to leave McKinley and his family alone and treat the rest of the community with respect.

The permit hearing is 10 a.m. on Wednesday at the London regional Department of Natural Resources office. We are going to meet at 9:30 a.m. at the Arby's across the street for an orientation. Please note the start time for the hearing is different than what was originally listed (it was changed from 2pm). Contact Colleen Unroe at 606-632-0051 if you think you will be able to attend.

DIRECTIONS: Get off I-75 at exit 41 and turn on HWY 80 towards Hazard. The Arby's is less than a mile from the exit on the right. The DNR office is a short distance further on the left (85 State Police Road), up the hill by the state police post.

Last Wednesday, May 7th, Long Branch residents Mary Jane and Raleigh Adams had a hearing regarding Whymore Coal Company’s broken lease agreement and trespassing on their property.  The Circuit Judge in Leslie County, Judge House, concluded that the lease is still valid and that the couple is restraining from getting on their own land.  The judge is also requiring the Adams family to remove debris from the ditchline where the road was widened on their property.

"We believe we were just run over by the Circuit Judge House in Leslie County and by the coal company lawyers who lied and said that we had said that the lease was valid.  We never said that.  Why would we have spent all of this money to challenge the judge’s conclusion about the lease if we said it was valid?”  Mary Jane asked.

The company stopped paying wheelage owed to the Adams' when the county road had been widened on their property early last year.  The couple contacted the company and then wrote a certified letter voiding the lease.

“We did exactly what was needed to void our lease.  It was very clear what was required in the terms of the agreement, and there was no valid reason why the judge concluded what he did.  He essentially restored the lease.  He’s not for the people; he’s for the coal company.

The judge also concluded that Raleigh had gone against the restraining order which preventing them from interrupting the mining operation on their land.  Since the couple had been restrained, Raleigh had gone on the property when the company wasn’t working to take photos and mark boundary lines for their surveyor.   

“They weren’t even working.  That’s worse than anything.  We can’t get on our own land,” Mary Jane. 

The company also tried to argue that the Adams’ contact with the Department for Natural Resources to request inspection of mining violations was against the restraining order.  At this point the judge determined that the couple is still allowed to do that.

“The company was trying to make it seem like we were contacting the state just to harass them.  We only contacted the state when we had valid complaints, which was twice in the last month.  The state did come out several days in a row; once they got there they must have found more problems.  There were violations, and it’s our right to have areas checked out,” Mary Jane said.

“What can you do to a judge who appears to be above the law?  He sits there and does nothing that is right.  Then the company is saying lies about us, and we couldn’t say anything to object,”

“We now can’t get on our own land, and the mining is going forward without our permission.  They have restrained us from stepping on our property even when no one is around and they aren’t working,” Raleigh concluded.

Another report is reminding us that Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is not a reasonable solution to our global climate change crisis, and that state officials are not looking out for the best interests of Kentuckians when they throw hundreds of millions of dollars down that hole.

False Hope: Why Carbon Capture and Storage Won’t Save the Climate, released this morning by Greenpeace USA called CCS from coal-fired power plants “unproven and expensive.” The technology “has not been successfully tested at a scale necessary for application to full size power plants." Even coal industry advocates admit that CCS on a commercial scale is at least 20 years away, and Greenpeace cites the year 2030 before potential commercial feasibility. That’s 15 years after 2015, the year the world’s climate experts say greenhouse gas emissions must start showing a decline.

Carbon capture also uses tremendous amounts of energy (as much as a fifth of that which the particular power plant produces) and would raise the cost of electricity from 21% to 90%. Carbon storage is iffy and Greenpeace says if just 1 percent of stored carbon leaks out it will negate the positive effects of CCS.

Closer to home, Kentuckians know what happens when attempts are made to regulate the coal industry — it doesn’t work. Given the industry’s history, no one could reasonably expect that CCS could be done in a way that would actually protect people instead of expose us to more harm.

The Climate Security Act now before the U.S. Senate would give a half trillion dollars for CCS experimentation. A better path toward a sustainable and survivable energy future would be to "invest in the technology that’s already there for the production of power on a large scale with solar, geo-thermal, water and wind," said KFTC's Mary Love. "The technology for renewables is there and proven; we should invest in something that has been proven."

She reminded us that this issue is an economic one for Kentucky and many coalfield communities, not just an environmental one. "We should be investing now in the new energy economy so that we are prepared to make the transition rather than being caught totally unprepared. It’s a matter of economic survival.”

Read the full Greenpeace report here.

Sponsored by Sustainable Berea, the Berea Rain Barrel Festival proved to be a huge success last Saturday, with approximately 2,500 people coming out to Memorial Park to learn about water conservation, enjoy local food and live music, and to look at more than 60 rain barrels painted by various artists, non-profit organizations, clubs, schools, youth groups, and churches. The Festival was designed to not only raise awareness about water conservation, but also to serve as a venue where anyone could be an artist and paint a barrel.

Among the barrel artists were Toby and Harold Wilcher, along with their daughter Zoe Wilcher, and their grandchildren, Cloe and Magnolia Clark, and Lenore Fisher, who together painted the rain barrel representing the KFTC Madison County chapter. The KFTC barrel was sold for $95 in a silent auction, with Krista and Randall Carter placing the winning bid. After learning whose barrel she and her husband had purchased, Krista said that their fourth-grade daughter had taken part in a school field trip to Frankfort in January that was hosted by KFTC and that she was glad to know she bought a barrel supporting a good cause.

Because the KFTC barrel sold in the silent auction, 100% of the proceeds will go back to the organization. For the live auction, 75% of the proceeds will go to the group or person who painted the barrel, with 25% going to help cover costs of the event. In addition to painted barrels, there were 72 unpainted barrels sold by Sustainable Berea, and 119 people placed themselves on a waiting list to purchase a barrel.

Rain barrels are designed with a screen on top for the gutter pipe to drain into. Water that comes from the roof and is captured in gutters during rainfalls then drains into the barrel, providing a free source of water for gardens and other outdoor water needs. Using rain barrels not only promotes water conservation, but also serves as a good way to save money and as a source of water during a drought.

While the rain barrels were the main attraction, several organizations set up booths at the Festival to promote other sustainability and environmental issues. Madison County KFTC members tabled at the Festival and had more than 50 people fill out postcards about mountaintop removal to send to Gov. Steve Beshear. Members also gave out dozens of newsletters and were busy talking to interested folks who stopped by. Three new members joined KFTC at the Festival, and $150 was raised through donations and sales of t-shirts.