A limestone quarry in Northern CA. Photo by Flickr user Joe_13

KFTC member David Bell has been spending the last 18 months trying to protect his rural community along the Ohio River from a limestone quarry. 

Big Bend, in Meade County, rests on limestone, which is used to "scrub" sulfur dioxide from coal-burning power plants.  Bell has reservations about the costs, in Eastern Kentucky and now in his part of the state, that are going into to generating dirty energy. 

I believe in my heart that we need to be doing other things.  There's a direct parallel with what's happening in Eastern Kentucky, going after the coal at all costs, and what's going on with this loop on the river.  I think most people are unaware of it.  It's happening on Louisville's doorstep, and most people are unaware of it.

The real asset of this part of the world is that it's still green.  It could be used for recreation along the river, pasture, aqua, ponds, orchards, vineyards...It's important habitat for wildlife. There's a quarry in Battletown, about ten miles upstream, and it's just a big gargantuan pit.  We've got to hold onto some of this green space.

What you can do:

Right now, the quarry attorneys are trying to get the agricultural landed zoned for heavy industrial use.  There is a zoning hearing tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m. at the Meade County courthouse in Brandenburg.  Come show your support for David and his community!

Stay tuned for more details on the next steps.  Thursday's hearing will be followed up with a hearing in the Fiscal Court, but there's no date for that yet.  The permit for the quarry, which Bell and Tom Fitzgerald (Kentucky Resources Council) are challenging, will be discussed during a Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet administrative hearing Sept. 15 in Frankfort.

You can read more about the quarry and David's efforts here, in this Courier-Journal article.