The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has delayed for too long steps to protect communities from toxic coal ash, so a group of state and national groups, including KFTC, threatened today to sue the federal agency.

The groups delivered to EPA officials a Notice of Intent to Sue letter on January 18. It gives the agency 60 days to respond before the groups can file a lawsuit.

“With many coal ash dumps located in populated areas, the public depends on EPA to do everything possible to protect our health and keep our communities safe,” said KFTC member Mary Love. “We need strong standards so we can not only clean up communities that have already been poisoned but make sure these toxins never again leak into our homes and communities."

Coal ash contains a toxic mix of arsenic, lead, hexavalent chromium, mercury, selenium, cadmium and other dangerous pollutants that results from burning coal.

The coal ash dump at the Cane Run Power plant in Louisville

"Imagine this toxic ash embedded in your child's lungs," said Kathy Little, who participated on a national tele-press conference announcing the action. Little lives just a few hundred yards from a coal ash disposal site in Louisville.

"It's a horrible feeling. This ash is everywhere," she said, adding that she has to use a special cleanser to get the ash off her home and furniture. "We have no buffer zone. Homes are within 50 yards of the coal ash landfill and pond."

Three years ago, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson announced plans to set federal coal ash rules by year’s end. In May 2010, the EPA proposed a hybrid regulation to classify coal ash either as hazardous or non-hazardous waste. After eight public hearings across the country and more than 450,000 public comments, the agency decided to delay finalizing the rule amid intense pressure from the coal and power industries.

Numerous studies, including some by the EPA, show the inadequacy of current coal ash practices to protect public health and the environment. The documentation shows coal ash poisoned aquifers and surface waters at 150 sites in 36 states, including in Kentucky,

Despite this, the EPA continues to fail to updates federal coal ash standards, even though the law requires them to at least conduct a review every three years.

The legal action would force the EPA to set deadlines for review and revision of relevant solid and hazardous waste regulations to address coal ash, as well as the much needed, and overdue, changes to the test that determines whether a waste is hazardous.

The action was filed by Earthjustice on behalf of Appalachian Voices (NC), Environmental Integrity Project, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, French Broad Riverkeeper, Moapa Tribe Band of Paiutes (NV), Montana Environmental Information Center, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Prairie Rivers Network (IL), Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (TN) and KFTC.

“Politics and pressure from corporate lobbyists is delaying much needed health protections from coal ash,” said Earthjustice attorney Lisa Evans. “The law states that the EPA should protect citizens who are exposed to cancer-causing chemicals in their drinking water from coal ash. As we clean up the smokestacks of power plants, we can’t just shift that pollution to the waste and think the problem is solved. The EPA must set strong, federally enforceable safeguards against this toxic menace.”

Notice of Intent letter

KFTC members shared an analysis of Kentucky's tax structure and solutions to the unfairness and inadequacy built into the current system with members of Occupy Louisville on Friday afternoon.

Shekinah Lavalle, Linda Stettenbenz and Nick Clark presented at an Occupy Louisville teach-in.

Shekinah Lavalle, Nick Clark and Linda Stettenbenz – Jefferson County members of KFTC's Economic Justice Work Team – talked about the types of taxes used to support public programs and services, and how they affect people of different income levels.

They led one exercise in which participants named government programs and policies that have helped, or hurt, employment opportunities and wealth equality or disparity. After World War II, programs such as the GI Bill, a commitment to build an interstate highway system, and the strength of unions helped fuel the economy and move all income groups forward.

However, since 1979 a different set of policies – such as tax policies that favor corporations and the wealthy, union busting and deregulation – led to the stagnation of income growth for working families while accelerating wealth growth for upper-income folks.

Occupy participants Carol Smith and John Miller shared information on The Return to Prudent Banking Act, a Congressional effort to restore major provisions of the Glass-Steagall Act that were repealed in 1999. 

The Glass-Steagall Act, also known as the Banking Act of 1933, was passed by Congress to prohibit commercial banks from engaging in investment speculation, according to information found at glass-steagallnow.com/. The removal of these controls had a lot to do with the collapse of banks and the economic crisis of 2008.

"I'm here because I hear people always say that the candidates we have to choose from are no good.  It's time to change that.  I'm also here because I think it will give me some insight and help me become a better citizen lobbyist" - Erika Skaggs

Here are some of the first pictures:

 

KFTC members Tim Darst and Angela Lincoln have been working towards energy sustainability for quite some time. They care about it for many reasons – because of their faith, their commitment to social justice and their concern about global climate change and mountaintop removal coal mining.

Ten years ago, they began efforts to reduce their home electricity usage through lifestyle changes and energy efficiency measures. They built awnings to block excess sunlight, put lower-watt bulbs in their lamps and began using sunlight to dry their clothes, among other things.

“We looked into electricity in Kentucky and found out that more than 90% comes from coal – the dirtiest of all the fossil fuels,” Tim said. “We wanted to make some changes in our life and we started with electricity because it made the most sense.”

These efforts yielded a 70% reduction in home electricity use over time, he told a crowd of 25 at a KFTC gathering that he, Angela and neighbors Rus Funk and Amy Mudd co-hosted on October 18th. Once their usage was down, Tim and Angela invested in solar panels to provide most of their remaining electricity use.

The crowd saw Tim and Angela’s solar panel array and then toured Rus and Amy’s home geo-thermal heating and cooling system. Geo-thermal systems run water through pipes deep into the ground to keep it a steady temperature and then use a highly efficient indoor machine to heat or cool the water, which in turn heats or cools the air to the desired temperature.

Amy, Kiernan and Rus, in the process of having an addition put onto their home, explored the possibility of going to geo-thermal as a way of attempting to reduce their carbon footprint.  They said that the installation process was messy and loud, with lots of dust coming from the drilling process, but they feel like it was well worth it.

"We knew that Tim and Angela had gone solar and liked the idea, but knew that there was no way we could have afforded that option. geo-thermal was something we could work in the budget of our addition, and we'd get the money returned to us in savings much more quickly then we could have via solar."

Ron Neal, of Louisville-based Allgeier Air (pictured, right) – the company that installed Rus and Amy’s system - told the crowd that residential and commercial use of geothermal heating and cooling is really taking off in Kentucky.

“With a 7-to-10-year average payback, geothermal is catching on quickly.  A few years ago, we saw a steady 1-2% increase in our installations every year. In 2009, our business increased 20%. In 2010, 30% and 2011, 40%.”

He went on to describe the success that 50 Kentucky schools have been using geothermal systems. One school built a new building 4 times the size of the previous one. With efficiency measures and a geothermal system, energy bills in the bigger building are just ¼ of the school’s previous bill costs.

KFTC member Jane Walsh brought her two kids to tour the homes. “We were inspired,” Jane said. Her daughter, Mae Alice Harrell is a reporter for the Bloom Elementary "Bloom Report," a weekly program of her school's media club. She filmed the event to help educate her schoolmates about how families can use less energy.

The party raised both friends and funds for KFTC - thirteen new members signed up! And, the event motivated many people present to lobby their legislators in order to make these clean energy systems more affordable for Kentuckians.

“I love the idea of solar panel and geothermal technology. I would love to save money on my utilities and minimize my carbon footprint, but these projects are expensive for the average middle income household,” said participant and property manager Debbie Rosenstein. “This is why it is so important for us to contact our legislators regarding the Clean Energy Opportunity Act. Clean energy needs to be an affordable alternative for everyone.”

If you are interested in telling your legislator that you want affordable, clean energy solutions in Kentucky, contact nancy@kftc.org.

Here in Jefferson County we are very excited to offer two webinars hosted by the Applied Research Center.  Members are welcome to join staff at the Jefferson County Office for the webinars but space is limited. If you are interested in participating in the webinars, please contact colette@kftc.org to reserve a space.

“Challenging Racism
Systematically”

Wednesday, October 19
1pm ET / 10am PT

A systematic approach to addressing racism and focus on what’s causing racism and what changes we can advance. This is a core racial justice webinar and future ARC webinars will build on these concepts.

“Changing the
Conversation on Race”

Thursday, November 17
1pm ET / 10amPT

A framework and practical skills for promoting actions and solutions. The conversation on race won’t change unless we change it.  Talk remains talk unless we move it towards action.

For more information on the Applied Research Center, please go here: http://www.arc.org/

Have YOU ever thought about running for public office or helping someone else to run?  Now might be the time. 

We now have an online registration form up for our November Candidate and Campaign Training with Wellstone Action and the PUSHBACK Network.

Elements of the world-class Wellstone Action training will include messaging, electoral base-building, targeting, direct voter contact, running an effective phone and door program, stump speeches, interactive scripts, GOTV, media work, fundraising, and more.

This is a non-partisan training for people who plan to run for office or help to manage a campaign within the next three years. It is sponsored by the KFTC and the Pushback Network, a national collaboration of social justice community organizations to coordinate integrated civic engagement work. The purpose of the training is to advance social justice by preparing people to represent our communities as elected officials and campaign managers.

The training will be held from Nov. 11-13 in Louisville, Kentucky. The training will begin at 9 AM on Nov. 11 so out of area people will need to arrive on Nov. 10. It will end in early afternoon on Nov. 13 so people can fly out that day.

Please register here and we will follow up with you to work out logistical arrangements. Registration Deadline - Oct 7th

We haven't said a lot on this blog lately about field work related to our campaign to restore voting rights to former felons who have served their debt to society... but that's not for lack of a lot of good field work, which we'll take a brief moment to talk about.

Tayna Fogle, a former felon spokesperson and leader with KFTC, has continued to crisscross the state talking visiting churches, job fairs, community festivals, ally meetings, and other events to talk to people about this issue.

One of the recent stops was at a meeting of our friends at the Bluegrass Reentry Council where new former felon spokespeople Melinda McPherson and Christa Hughes (bottom-right) passed out information and talked to people.

Keith Coleman (right-above) also spoke to the group about the challenges of reentering society with a felony in his past. 

     

Central KY KFTC members are continuing to talk to their city council about a resolution in favor of restoring voting rights to former felons, and they will table this weekend at the Roots and Heritage Festival to talk to people about it.

Northern KY KFTC Members have a Singing For Democracy Gospel Fest coming up soon on Sept 18th.

Jefferson County KFTC members also have a big community tabling event coming up at the Rally For Recovery and Sept 24th, at which we'll talk to over a hundred former felons, plus other advocates of recovery.  

And finally, on the statewide level, we're increasingly interested in engaging in the Secretary of State's race which has become a polarized space around the issue of voting rights for former felons and others.  We might soon launch a campaign to raise up statements made by candidates and make our own arguments about what a healthy democracy looks like in Kentucky.   More on this soon.  

By Jefferson County member Tim Darst

The weather has been the hot topic (pun intended) of many of our conversations these days, so it seems an appropriate time for me to talk about air conditioning.  The power plants are going full steam to produce enough energy to power all the AC we are demanding.  Finding ways to reduce our energy used for air conditioning can help reduce the air pollution and save money at the same time. 

Turning the thermostat up a few degrees is too obvious and often contentious so I won’t even mention it.  Instead let’s look at AC competition.  There are many things that are trying to heat up our house while the AC is trying to cool it, like appliances and windows.  These cause the condenser to run longer. 

Here are some of my suggestions:  Try running your washer, washing machine and dryer at night instead of during the day.  These appliances put off heat that not only competes with the AC, but uses electricity during the peak production hours.  If you can, dry your clothes outside on a clothes line.  Avoid using the oven if possible.  Heat things up using a microwave instead, or grill outside.  My neighbors have a portable single burner that they put on their patio to cook with.  Unplug computers, cell phone charges, televisions and other devices that can put off heat even when turned off.  Don’t use incandescent bulbs; they really put off some heat!  Turn off any lights you really don’t need.   Closing blinds and curtains to keep the sun out can make a big difference.  Have awnings installed.  When you take a shower run the exhaust fan to get rid of the humidity.  Likewise the fan on your stove top can expel the heat while cooking.  Using ceiling fans can circulate the air and make it feel cooler.  Dress down to stay cooler.  Drink lots of cold drinks and don't do things that require a lot of physical activity.  Here’s your permission to relax.  Take cold showers.  Before it gets hot, clean your air filters so that your AC runs efficiently.  Keep plants and debris from accumulating close to your central AC unit outside your house.  It needs room for air to flow.

 Here are some more radical ideas if you’re up to it:  Buy a solar oven to cook with.  Open the windows at night when it cools down then seal in that cool air before the day heats up and avoid the AC all together.  Turn off the AC and spend your time at cool places away from the house like swimming pools, coffee houses or the library.  Put shutters on the outside of your windows to keep the sun out.  Plant shade trees on the south side of your house.  Shade your AC condenser, it runs better when not sitting in the blazing sun.  Install solar panels on your roof to provide shade while creating clean energy.

Good luck and stay cool!

Tim Darst is Executive Director of Kentucky Interfaith Power and Light, a fellow member group and ally to KFTC in the Kentucky Sustainable Energy Alliance

.

KFTC members from the Jefferson County, Central Kentucky, and Northern Kentucky chapters met up in far western Kentucky this weekend to challenge "politics as usual" at the rowdy Fancy Farm picnic - a blisteringly hot festival full of pork, sweat, partisanship, booing, theatrics, costumes, and stump speeches. 

But between all of that challenging landscape, we had a lot of opportunity to talk to politicians, local folks, and political buffs from across the state who drove long hours to the event. 

"Tired of Hot Air?," we said.  "Come get a fan!"

And they listened.

And not just because of the blistering heat, but because so many people told us that they were, in fact, tired of the hot air and the partisanship, and the attack politics.  Even the people who came out to this event seemed to genuinely hunger for real policy discussions instead of the the political theater that's the norm there.

We also talked to people a lot about our campaign to restore voting rights to former felons who have served their debt to society.  We met many former felons and their family members and found Republicans, Democrats, and Independents who were proud to wear our lapel stickers in favor of voting rights. 

KFTC members were approached by many folks from the media, to talk about our decidedly un-Fancy Farm presence at Fancy Farm.

We also got to build connections with allies and likely allies on a range of issues, including unions like AFSCME, the Teamsters, UFCW, and others. 

In all, we passed out all 600 fans we had, plus 200 stickers, KFTC newsletters, and more, had a lot of good conversations, and were a strong visible presence for candidates and others.

KFTC Member Reactions:

"I was not at all prepared for the Fancy Farm speeches.  I guess I had heard before that it was a giant heckle-fest, but I had forgotten and was totally shocked when the "boos" started emanating unsolicited (aside from the politicians being guilty of not being on the same "side" as the folks booing them) from the mouths of people who had until that point been sitting around me, perfectly friendly, polite, and smiling.  Watching and (sometimes) hearing the speeches did however remind me of why I love being a member of KFTC.  I felt that the people I was sitting with were the only folks in the crowd who were cheering and booing ideas, not parties.  The heckling is still not my idea of good political discourse, but I wasn't under the impression that any of my fellow KFTC members perceived this behavior to be beneficial either.  Before the speeches began though, I think we all had opportunities to have good conversations with people of all political leanings about restoring former felons' voting rights, and having good conversations about building a better Kentucky always feels like progress to me, and it always feels like time well-spent."
                      - Shekinah Lavalle, Jefferson County KFTC Member

"On the one hand, this is more entertaining than pro wrestling at the county fair. On the other, the future of our Commonwealth, and it's citizens, shouldn't be treated like pro wrestling at the county fair. KFTC was there to point that out."

"For all the fun, festivities and BBQ nachos, most of the candidates were like the old James Brown song; 'Talkin' Loud, and Saying Nothing.'"
                       - Danny Cotton, Central Kentucky KFTC Member

Links:

- Fancy Farm videos, from Bluegrass Politics

- "Fancy Farm Speakers Line Up in Support of Coal," from WFPL

- "Grimes, Johnson Spar Over Homeless Voters Issue at Fancy Farm," from WFPL

- KFTC Fancy Farm Picture Gallery

As part of a strategic planning effort, Kentucky's economic development cabinet is gathering input from Kentuckians about our vision for the economic future of the commonwealth over the next five years through public forums held in different cities across the Commonwealth. Jefferson County members participated in one yesterday in Louisville.

Common themes emerged as the nearly 100 people present answered the question: "What are the biggest economic challenges faced by Kentucky today?" Consistent answers were poor education, inadequate tax structure, lack of public transportation, and Kentucky's national image.

Several participants mentioned that the legislators in Frankfort seemed out of touch with the types of innovations and policies needed to move Kentucky forward, including small business incubation models and renewable energy policy. Christina Shadle of Greater Louisville, Inc. noted "nearby states have great models for green incentives that we could learn from."

KFTC member Peggy Wenker felt like the forum was important and was glad she attended. "I think we need new incentives for small businesses - more entrepreneurship. And, because there is no money that Kentucky specifically sets aside for women and minorities in business, people give up easily." She said she liked many of the ideas, but looked forward to seeing a specific plan with concrete ideas about how we accomplish those things.

Peggy also mentioned that she would have like to see the Cabinet hold a forum during non-business hours. "It seemed like everyone there knew each other. I'd like to see more regular people participate in conversations like these, but you would need to hold one of these at night."

There is one more forum in Northern Kentucky - plan to attend if you live nearby: Thursday, August 4, 9 a.m. – noon ET, The METS Center, Auditorium, 3861 Olympic Blvd., Erlanger.

You can also contribute your thoughts online. Fill out a survey at http://www.kentuckysunbridledfuture.com/. Click on the button that says “Provide your input.” Then click on the small underlined link that says, “resident survey.”