Kentucky Habitat For Humanity, a KFTC ally in the Kentucky Sustainable Energy Alliance, will host an amazing 2-day conference on green housing at the Fayette County Extension Facility in Lexington on June 13th and 14th. The special cost for KFTC members and allies is $25 for the two days, which includes all meals. Scholarships for travel costs and fees are also available. 

The conference, entitled "Beginning With The End In Mind," will feature a wide range of speakers, including policy-makers and technical specialists from in and out of state. This conference focuses completely on the use of sustainable energy and green building techniques in ways that maintain housing affordability. As many know, Habitat For Humanity works successfully with thousands of low-income families each year to provide sustainable, affordable housing.  

Visit www.kyhfh.org or contact Ginger Watkins (ginger@kyhfh.org) to learn more or register for the event.

Several Kentucky Sustainable Energy Alliance (KySEA) members gathered together yesterday to explore what we have learned over the last year of working together as an alliance and to consider what the plan is for 2012. KFTC was a founding member of this alliance and was represented by Mary Love and Steve Boyce at the meeting. (For more information about KySEA, click here.)

During the meeting, there was healthy discussion about the current state of Kentucky's energy landscape and future, as well as reflection about the lessons KySEA learned from the 2011 legislative session, during which KySEA members lobbied and gave powerful testimony in support of the Clean Energy Opportunity Act. KySEA agreed to support the the bill again if it is introduced in the 2012 session and began to plot out a course of action in the areas of research, outreach and education, and alliance-building as well.

KySEA members also got a preview of an outreach presentation we're calling the "Clean Energy Road Show." It covers the basics of what types of clean energy exist in Kentucky and explores their feasibility. It also considers what the obstacles are currently in place to widespread deployment of those resources. KFTC staff and members will be offering this presentation to chapters and groups throughout the state over the next year - so look for it in your area!

If your group or church is interested in joining KySEA or hearing a presentation of the "Clean Energy Road Show," email nancy@kftc.org.

This past Thursday, over a dozen folks gathered at two locations near a proposed Leeco mountaintop removal permit area, stretching across two east Kentucky counties, to talk with their Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). From one location in Perry County and one in Knott County, local residents gathered to share their stories and concerns with the Region 4 EPA on a one-hour conference call.  

Gwendolyn Keyes Fleming, Region 4 administrator, was expected to join us and several members of her staff for only the first few minutes of the call but surprised us all by staying til the very end.

People living all around the 849 acres, six valley fills, and over 4 miles of streams included in the proposed mine permit showed up to tell Gwendolyn and her staff why this mine does not belong in their community and insist she come see for herself.

Several long time members from the area converged at both locations with local neighbors and friends.   Many were new to KFTC and new to organizing, but all were experts in their community needs and visions.  Sharing their stories on the call were local nurse practitioners, retired miners and service workers, teachers, young journalists, students, grandmothers, great grandmothers, and great grandchildren (of the brave widow, Ollie Combs).  These amazing people came from and represented families from the head of Stacys Branch in Perry County all the way to the far reaches of Lotts Creek in Knott County.   

This letter, written by Pam Maggard of Sassafras, read in her absence from the call, touches on the spectrum of issues weighing heavy on hearts and minds:

Ms. Fleming,

Please accept the invitation of Cordia, Stacy's Branch, and Sassafras residents to visit our area. You will see first hand the life we are trying to protect. I am very concerned about damage from blasting near my home (approx. 1 mile). Potential flooding is another concern. I am confident the EPA will want to continue their new commitment to putting clean water and health above mining profits

I understand the EPA asked Leeco to make some changes to its permit, to reduce anticipated water quality impacts and monitor stream quality and Leeco refused. This is typical of what we must deal with in the area. Profits before people. That is how we are treated - "Oh, they're not rich, they don't matter. We did it before, let's get the rest of the coal." We do matter. My neighbors and I are tax paying, modest income to poor people. I have worked hard to own a home. The coal trucks from the last mining in the area have wreaked havoc on our roads and water lines. We can't take much more

I implore you to at least come and see for yourself. Pictures and letters cannot even begin to tell the story. Come and visit with us - see it with your own eyes - then help us stop Leeco - for our water, homes, and health!

Hello, folks!

The 3rd Annual Louisville Loves Mountains event is officially underway! We're at Longest Ave. and Bardstown Road, in beautiful Louisville, Kentucky, celebrating the mountains that make our fair Commonwealth so majestic and special! Though we don't wake up to the same mountainscape as our friends in Appalachia, we do subscribe to the adage that we all live downstream!

Today's event is meant to bring education and awareness to us city folk regarding the devastating effects of mountaintop removal practices on our people, our environment, our culture, and our economy. Through music, spoken word, and literature we'll be spreading the good word that our mountains are precious!

Enjoy a sunny day with food from the Morels Food Truck (all vegan!) and Tony Boombozz, as well as beer provided by the New Albanian Brewing Company!

The music lineup includes:

Beady
River City Drum Corps
Reel World String Band
Relic
Appalatin
Slow Charleston
Justin Lewis,

KEYNOTE: Wendell Berry

Contributing speakers:
Affrilachian poet Bianca Spriggs
Sally Campbell (Saving Kentucky)

The festival is free and open to the public. There will be food, beer, activities, and music.

Wendell Berry, our key note speaker, will take the stage at 6pm!

It's a full evening of family-friendly entertainment and education... Check back for frequent photo, video, and written updates on today's festivities! Or better yet, come see us... We'd love to have you here!

The crowd is really filling in! We couldn't be more lucky with the beautiful weather this year..

There are lots of curious folks wandering around, asking great questions about mountaintop removal, it's so heartening to see the festival bringing new awareness to people!

Just down the way from me people are perusing the works of Wendell Berry at Carmichael's Books booth, the literature booth is completely crowded with people, and there's a sizable crowd of bobbing heads in front of the stage enjoying some bluegrass tunes! Photos of the scene to follow shortly!

Just 15 minutes or so before Wendell Berry speaks! From my post at the blogger booth I overheard a conversation in which a man visiting Louisville reported incredulously over his cell phone, "I'm staying in this town tonight... It's probably the best city I've been to so far, especially for its size. Dude, I'm at a festival for mountains. This is awesome!!" Yes, it is awesome, just take a look!

A letter to Gov. Beshear outlining the atrocities of  Mountaintop Removal Mining. We deserve better for our state and our people!

6:07pm

This is breathtaking! The River City Drum Corp just rocked this entire block! They have hundreds of heads bobbing, hundreds of tail feathers shaking, and a chorus of cheers and hand claps from the crowd! Iy's literally shoulder to shoulder, all the way around the perimeter of the drummers. Fresh moves, amazing beats, and a truly magnetic performance.... WOW! Surely, all you folks reading this from distant counties can feel the pulse of these guys!

6:53pm

The only way to follow up a powerful musical performance is with meaningful words from Kentucky's own Wendell Berry. Taking a historical perspective, Berry reminded us that our people are not strangers to a forced economy. Harkening back to his grandfather's days as a tobacco farmer, coming up empty handed after growing crops for the government, Berry elucidated the harsh reality of today's coal economy; forced upon people who need work to feed their families, stifling out local economies through purchasing power and industry, and rapidly crippling the biodiversity of the Appalachian region. Berry highlighted the importance of cultivating local food economies and employing smaller operations to sustain industries such as forestry; economies that are both fiscally stable and socially responsible. I'm paraphrasing, but Berry pointed out that people shouldn't have to destroy their own homes in order to live where they are... A point especially important for all of us to remember in Louisville, as we enjoy the luxury of a rich local economy.

Nothin' here to report except a whole lotta fun! There are happy smiles coming from the Morel's food truck, lots of friendly conversation, people taking advantage of the bumper stickers for sale (pass it on my any means!) and several people signing the letter to Gov. Beshear between their comings and goings... One of my favorite sights so far: Two sweet little mountain lovers sharing the day with their new kitty. Kitties love mountains, too....  Take a look!

Affrilachian poet Bianca Spriggs just took the stage with a little call and response.. Echoing down Bardstown Road were the words, "Louisville Loves Mountains! How Y'all feel?!" "Well allllllll right!"

Bianca Spriggs proclaiming her love for the mountains!

Appalatin and The Slow Charleston have both completed amazing sets. Just an hour left of the street festival, but all the revelry and good mountain vibes will be moving to the Monkey Wrench at 10pm for the after party! In the mean time, enjoy photo updates from Longest!

 Reel Word String Band

 Friendly Commerce

 "Dear Beshear, Save our mountains!"

 Another enthusiastic testimonial for the mountains!

9:51pm

Justin Lewis just finished his set, bringing a close to the 3rd annual Louisville Loves Mountains Day! I can't begin to express how humbling it is to see so many faces crowding a quiet city side street, all congregating in support of this cause, this rally cry to preserve and protect our most precious resource, the Appalachian mountains! Be it the purchase of one of Wendell Berry's fine works from Carmichaels, beer and food sales, KFTC membership sign up and donation, or the many people whose physical presence sent a clear message, we can put this down in the books as a success for our Commonwealth! Thanks to all who worked tirelessly over the months to pull it off, to those who donated their time and proceeds, and to the inquisitive, progressive minds populating this little corner of the world... See ya next year!

MSHA orders withdrawals at Leslie County mine 

The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has issued 10 withdrawal orders at Abner Branch Rider Mine in Leslie County related to mine safety violations. Here’s an excerpt from the MSHA press release: 

ARLINGTON, Va. -The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that it has issued 10 withdrawal orders at Bledsoe Coal Corp.'s Abner Branch Rider Mine, just one month after the Leslie County, Ky., operation received a notice of a pattern of violations. These orders mark an unprecedented use by the agency of an enforcement action under Section 104(e) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977.

Under Section 104(e) of the Mine Act, a mining operation on a POV is subject to a withdrawal order each time MSHA issues a significant and substantial, known as an S&S, violation. The order remains in place until the violation is abated. An operator can be removed from POV status only after undergoing a complete inspection without receiving an S&S violation. 

To read the full release, click here.

Report describes Upper Big Branch culture

In other mine safety news, an independent team of investigators released a report on the Upper Big Branch mine disaster of 2010. The report blames a corporate “culture in which wrongdoing became acceptable, where deviation became the norm” for the deaths of 29 Massey Energy mine workers. 

To read more, click here.

As natural gas drilling becomes more and more abundant in Letcher County, the folks in that chapter have become as educated as possible on the issue.  Nitro-Fracking is the preferred method of fracking in the region, which has been more difficult to understand because most natural gas drills in America tend to use Hydro-Fracking.

Gasland, the documentary by Josh Fox, was recently nominated for an Academy Award and has really helped shine a light on the recent struggles that communities all over America are facing to keep clean water.  While the film is based around Hydro-Fracking, many of the problems are the same.  Much like other extraction industries, the natural gas companies have used fear to try to silence concerned citizens, and put money in the pockets of elected officials to turn a blind eye to what is happening.

Last Thursday, the Letcher County Chapter gathered for a screening of Gasland.  One member in attendance, Celeste Johnson lives in the community of McRoberts where natural gas drilling is quickly consuming the hillsides, leaving much of the community frustrated with the constant noise of drilling and fracking, not to mention fear over the safety of their water.  “I felt like it was scary, not knowing what the nitro-fracking is doing here, whether or not it’s destroying our water the same way as in the movie,” said Celeste.  Currently there are two gas wells within 100-200 feet of the community’s water plant.

The 2011 Kentucky Primary Election is now behind us and we can take some time to analyze the results and the impact of our Voter Empowerment work before moving forward.

The strongest theme throughout the day, unfortunately, was low voter turnout, predicted between 9% and 10%.  Actual turnout was still quite poor, but at least beat the odds a bit to hit 10.35% - a good bit above the abysmal 1999 primary turnout, but still a far cry from the numbers you'd think would be necessary to have a Democracy. 

We suspect that our 7,000 KFTC members voted in much higher numbers, but we'll have to check the statistics in a few months and post that information later. 

KFTC's non-partisan Voter Empowerment work this primary was humble, but important, including voter registration events in many communities earlier this year, solid voter mobilization phone banks in several chapters last week, passing out voter guides, receiving 13,000 page views on our site at www.KentuckyElection.org,   running a voter mobilization add on Facebook that was seen 800,000 times, 950 people pledged to vote through a KFTC Facebook event, we sent a postcard mailer to 13,400 households of KFTC members and friends, and kept up a good drum-beat of news coming through our blog, balancing the scales, etc. about the primary, and there were some other good chapter-level events to educate and mobilize voters.

Here are some of the actual results of the races:

Governor - Republican Primary
Name                        Votes      Vote %
Williams, David       68,540      48%
Moffett, Phil             53,950      38%
Holsclaw, Barbara   19,616      14%

Secretary of State - Democratic Primary
Name                      Votes       Vote %
Grimes, Alison        85,438       55%
Walker, Elaine         69,202       45%

Secretary of State - Republican Primary
Name                     Votes         Vote %
Johnson, Bill         66,430        50%
Legg, Hilda            65,332        50%

Auditor - Republican Primary
Name                       Votes         Vote %
Kemper, John          70,874        57%
Wuchner, Addia     52,876        43%
               
Treasurer - Democratic Primary
Name                         Votes     Vote %
Hollenbach, Todd     106,174     71%
Hamrick, Steve          43,463     29%

Agriculture Commissioner - Democratic Primary
Name                         Votes     Vote %
Farmer, Robert         45,666     30%
Lackey, John            31,560     21%
Wilson, B.D.            29,245     19%
Gritton, Stewart       24,897     17%
Williams, David       18,879     13%

Agriculture Commissioner - Republican Primary
Name                          Votes     Vote %
Comer, James             86,322     67%
Rothenburger, Rob   43,142     33%

An interesting take-away from this is just how few votes it may have taken to shift the results of some of these races one way or another.  The closest by far was the Republican Secretary of State's race, won by just 1,098 votes.  But just 14,000 to 18,000 votes separate such large races as Democratic Secretary of State, Republican Auditor, Democratic Agriculture Commissioner, and even the Republican Governor's Primary.

Looking on to the big election this Fall, Oct 11th is the Voter Registration Deadline, followed by the General Election on Tuesday, November 8th.

And these will be the match ups:

Governor - Steve Beshear (D) vs. David Williams (R) vs. Gatewood Galbraith (I)

Secretary of State - Alison Lundergan Grimes (D) vs. Bill Johnson (R)

Agriculture Commissioner - Bob Farmer (D) vs. James Comer (R)

Attorney General - Jack Conway (D) vs. Todd P'Pool (R)

Treasurer - Todd Hollenbach (D) vs. KC Crosbie (R) vs. Ken Moellman (I)

State Auditor - Adam Edelen (D) vs John Kemper (R)

*Note that the deadline to actually file for office has not yet passed for independent candidates and so the field might widen a bit between now and then.

As for KFTC's non-partisan Voter Empowerment work, we'll be sending candidate surveys shortly to candidates who did not have primary contests to start things  moving on our voter guides. 

We have a lot of plans to make about our door-to-door work, voter registration campaigns and phone banks and just how much effort to put into those endeavors.  We'll post more as the plans start to come together. 

This May 20 to 27th, the seventh annual Mountain Justice Summer Camp will take place in the beautiful mountains of Letcher County, Kentucky.

The week-long camp will feature workshops, guest speakers, discussions, and live music.Participants will learn about mining practices, community organizing, economic transition, and actions they can take to protect Appalachian ecosystems.

The camp will take place from May 20 to 27. For information and registration visit http://www.mountainjustice.org/.

 

It's 6am Eastern time and polls are now open across most of the state!

We already know that KFTC members are big on voting, but we hope you also take some time to remind your friends, family and neighbors to get out and vote throughout the day as well! 

Polls close at 6pm, but as long as you're in line by then, the poll workers will allow you to cast your vote.  Just the same, it's better not to cut it close.  

Our website at www.KentuckyElection.org has a wealth of information on candidates, issues, voting locations, etc, so feel free to use it and pass it on.  

If you need anything throughout the day, please contact your local County Clerk and/or call KFTC's Voter Empowerment Organizer Dave Newton at 859-420-8919.

If you see what you suspect are election fraud activities today, please additionally contact Attorney General Jack Conway’s Election Fraud Hotline at 1-800-328-8683.

Many people are making plans to take part in the upcoming March on Blair Mountain, June 4-11 in West Virginia.

KFTC will host a conference call on

Wednesday, May 18 at 8 pm (eastern time)

for our members to learn more about the planned march and rally

and get many of your questions answered.

Contact Lisa@kftc.org to get a dial-in number for this conference call.

The March on Blair Mountain is a five-day march, along with a final day of action, to demand investment in sustainable economies in Appalachia, the end of mountaintop removal mining, the preservation of Blair Mountain, and the strengthening of labor rights. KFTC is one of many organizations who have endorsed the march and rally as an opportunity for those working in sustainability and labor movements to work together towards a sustainable and just Appalachia.

Even if you can't participate in this week's conference call, please visit the event website which is packed with important details and information.