May 21, 2013 at 12:18pm
We know that young Kentuckians care deeply about our mountains and mountain communities. This year, we wanted to make sure their voices were heard loud and clear at Kentuckians For The Commonwealth’s 5th Annual Louisville Loves Mountains Festival on Friday, May 17, 2013. We asked young people to share their written thoughts and ideas for a brighter future for our mountains. Dozens of youth from across Louisville wrote essays on the topic, “Why we need to protect our mountains and mountain communities."
The three winning essays were displayed during Louisville Loves Mountains Festival. The young authors were also recognized during the festivities and presented with prizes by essay contest judge Carol Besse, co-owner of Carmichael's Bookstore. Heine Brother’s Coffee and Carmichael's Bookstore donated prizes and the winners also received a Louisville Loves Mountains Festival t-shirt. The winning essays are featured below.
May 17, 2013 at 01:11pm
Continuing their campaign to make sure Kentucky's water is safe for everyone, KFTC and allies have challenged plans by the Beshear administration to let Frasure Creek Mining "off the hook" for repeated violations of the Clean Water Act.
Appalachian Voices, Waterkeeper Alliance, Kentucky Riverkeeper, KFTC and several individuals (the petitioners) asked the Franklin Circuit Court Thursday to vacate an Agreed Order signed in April by Environment and Energy Cabinet Secretary Len Peters that claims to resolve all recent water quality violations by the company.
May 16, 2013 at 07:36am
Thanks to everyone who took quick action in response to our action alertMonday about anti-clean water amendments in the U.S. Senate. We're happy to report that many of the worst amendments - including one by Kentucky Senator Rand Paul that would have gutted the Clean Water Act, and two by West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin that would have crippled EPA's efforts to protect the public from the worst effects of mountaintop removal - were not voted on. This went down to the final minutes as Senate leaders negotiated which amendments would receive a vote.
May 14, 2013 at 05:27pm
A group of KFTC members, along with about 35 fellow Appalachians, made their voices heard in the fight against mountaintop removal mining at the 8th annual Week in Washington. Alliance members were joined by more than 40 allies from across the country.
May 13, 2013
Medical Daily
Black lung disease and dust-induced lung diseases, such as emphysema and lung cancer, are on the rise among Appalachian miners.
May 8, 2013 at 04:27pm
KFTC members were among the crowd that rallied Wednesday in front of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency headquarters in Washington, DC, calling for an end to mountaintop removal and protection of the region’s water.
Residents of Central Appalachian states brought with them more than 100 gallons of brown, black and red water that have been collected from water sources in Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky.
“Sometimes the water runs orange, and you wouldn't want to touch it, much less drink it. But what’s more dangerous is when toxic water from your tap looks and smells totally fine. People sometimes drink it for years without knowing that they’re drinking toxic water and that’s what’s making them sick,” said Josh May of Magoffin County, a member of STAY (Stay Together Appalachian Youth) and KFTC. “We are bringing this water to the EPA as a way of holding them accountable. We’re having them sign for it so that they can formally acknowledge the problems that we’re living with everyday in the mountains."
May 7, 2013 at 12:11pm
KFTC members were part of a multi-state delegation that formally petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to begin a rule-making process to limit conductivity in the nation’s streams.
The petition was delivered to EPA officials in Washington, DC on Monday. The delegation was in the nation’s capital city as part of the annual Week in Washington, coordinated by the Alliance for Appalachia.
A formal petition was used because the EPA is required to respond. Central Appalachia residents have been asking EPA to begin the rule-making process since a federal court ruled last year that the agency’s conductivity “guidance” was not enforceable.
April 24, 2013 at 09:45pm
Appalachian author Bob Sloan – a passionate voice for protecting the land and culture from the destruction of mountaintop removal – died on April 17. He was 65 years old.
“He was a fine ally and fine company, so it’s a double loss,” said Wendell Berry, whose invitation to a Kentucky Authors mountaintop removal tour with KFTC in 2005 provided Bob with the experience that fueled his commitment to stopping the destruction.
“This has been a life-changing experience for me. I keep going back and forth between rage and wanting to cry,” Bob said after listening to the stories of eastern Kentucky residents and flying over Perry County.
April 24, 2013
Ashland Daily Independent
Some lawmakers believe the Cabinet for Energy and Environment deliberately tried to confuse them about a controversial new regulation governing how much selenium can be discharged into Kentucky streams by mining operations.
April 24, 2013
Hazard Herald
This past weekend Kentuckians for the Commonwealth (KFTC) hosted a conference, Appalachia’s Bright Future, in Harlan. The purpose of the gathering was to have an organized conversation about the opportunities and challenges within the state and region and how to effectively build the next economy here in Eastern Kentucky and Central Appalachia.
