KFTC is a member-based organization. That means our members speak for us. Many of our members are directly impacted by the issues that we address. Please contact us if you are a media representative and wish to speak to a KFTC spokesperson. We also can arrange face-to-face interviews and visits to effected communities. We have experience working with many local, state and national media.

Our press room pages are designed to help reporters learn more about KFTC and the issues we address. Please contact us if you cannot find the information you are looking for on these pages.

Recent releases

• Partnership Statement on Tax Reform Commission – The Partnership for Kentucky's Future has issued a statement with recommendations for the Blue Ribbon Tax Reform Commission proposed by Gov. Steve Beshear. (January 25, 2012)
  
• EPA challenged on delayed coal ash protections – The U.S. EPA is required by law every three years to review and revise, as needed, disposal standards for various waste streams, including toxic coal ash. But despite promises over the past few years to improve coal ash standards to better protect nearby residents and the environmental, the EPA has not finalized its work. Legal action filed today by 11 state and national groups seeks to force the EPA to complete this work. (January 18, 2012)
  
• Court asked to vacate deal negotiated in secret with Nally & Hamilton – the agreement, agreed to by state officials, lets the coal company off easy for thousands of violations of the Clean Water Act, and does nothing to keep Nally from continuing to violate the law. (December 9, 2011)
  
• Coal companies continue to violate Clean Water Act – monitoring reports filed by ICG and Frasure Creek Mining show 4,000 repeated and serious violations for the first three months of 2011. These companies have already admitted to thousands of violations in past years, but state officials have done little to stop the practice.  (June 28, 2011)
  
• Study shows association between mountaintop mining and birth defects – published today in the journal Environmental Research, the study shows a statistically higher prevalence of birth defects in areas impacted by mountaintop mining than in non-mining areas.  This is based on the study of 1.8 million birth records over an eight-year period. (June 21, 2011)
  
• Nally and Hamilton is next coal company put on notice for Clean Water Act violations – a coalition of groups sent the company a 60-day Notice of Intent to Sue for 12,000 routine violations at more than a dozen operations in seven eastern Kentucky counties. (March 9, 2011)
  
• Leeco Put on Notice for Selenium Releases – The Sierra Club and KFTC sent Leeco a 60-day Notice of Intent to Sue for illegal discharges of toxic selenium from its surface mining operations in Perry and Letcher counties. (January 21, 2011)
  
• Background Materials for the ICG / Frasure Creek case
  • ICG Frasure Motion to Intervene
    
  • Frasure Creek Mining Notice of Intent (Oct 2010)
    
  • ICG Knott Notice of Intent (Oct 2010)
  • ICG Hazard Notice of Intent (Oct 2010)
  • Frasure Creek Complaint and Consent Judgment (Ky)
    
  • ICG Complaint and Consent Judgment (Ky)
    
  • Energy Cabinet's press release Dec. 3, 2010
  • List of Remedial Actions required
  • Gov. Beshear's press release Dec. 3, 2010
• EKPC cancels coal-burning plant, enter into collaborative with public interest groups – Construction will be halted on the Smith plant near Winchester and a second one won't be built, the cooperative agreed in an accord with KFTC, some of its co-op customers and several other parties. In addition, there will be a collaborative effort to pursue energy efficiency and renewable solutions.  (November 18, 2010)
  
• Len Peters vacates order, allows destructive mining to resume – Despite an administrative law judge's ruling that KFTC and the Sierra Club are likely to prevail on a challenge to a Cambrian Coal mining permit that would further impair Kentucky waterways, Energy Cabinet Secretary Len Peters decided to let the mining resume.  (October 14, 2010)
  
• KFTC and Other Appalachian Groups Ask to Intervene in Lawsuit Against EPA – The National Mining Association has sued the EPA,  attempting to prevent the agency from enforcing the Clean Water Act. The groups are asking the court to allow them to intervene in support of EPA.  (October 14, 2010)
  
• Groups Allege 20,000 Violations of Clean Water Act by Three Coal Companies – Evidence shows that pollution limits were regularly exceeded, required water quality monitoring was not done, and false data was submitted.  (October 7, 2010)
  
• KFTC Announces the Formation of the New Power PAC – To expand its involvement in electoral politics, promote New Power in Kentucky and hold all candidates accountable, KFTC is forming a new political action committee. (September 17, 2010)
  

• EPA Needs to Act to Safeguard Kentucky’s Waterways and Communities – KFTC, the Kentucky Waterways Alliance and the Sierra Club are suing the U.S. EPA for its failure to enforce an anti-degradation water quality program in Kentucky as state officials continue to issue hundreds of illegal permits. (September 10, 2010)

• Public Service Commission to investigate need for EKPC coal-burning plant – The PSC will open a new case (consolidating two other) to revisit it 2005 decision apporving the need for the Smith 1 coal burning plant proposed by East Kentucky Power Cooperative.  (June 25, 2010)
  
• KFTC and other groups challenge EKPC financing decision – Legal action seeks to reverse the federal Rural Utilities Service decision to allow the East Kentucky Power Cooperative to waive federal debt obligations in seeking private financing for a  coal-burning power plant in Clark County.  (June 16, 2010)
  
• Residents ask that coal ash disposal in streams not be allowed – A steady stream of Kentuckians almost unanimously told federal officials on Tuesday night that permitting a coal ash dump at a coal-burning power plant in Clark County would be reckless and publicly irresponsible.  (June 9, 2010).
• EPA says state official erred in issuing an air pollution permit for the EKPC Smith plant – The state didn’t do a sufficient job in assessing the dangers of soot pollution from the coal-burner, even though it had been warned about the inadequacies of its modeling. (May 26, 2010)
  
• Kentucky has the most MTR acreage – There are more decapitated mountains and acres mined by surface mining in Kentucky than in other Appalachian states, a just-released study shows. (May 17, 2010)
  
• Second Louisville Loves Mountains Festival — KFTC is teaming up with Carmichaels Books and Heine Brothers Coffee to offer a great lineup or musicians and authors for an evening of fun while supporting efforts to protect Kentucky unique mountain region. (May 5, 2010)
• EKPC in "dismal" financial shape, audit reveals — An audit of the East Kentucky Power Cooperative financial condition recommends against taking on a billion-dollar debt for a new coal burning plant.  (April 22, 2010)
• EKPC Delays Power Plant Request — the East Kentucky Power Cooperative has withdrawn it request for approval of its financing plan for a controversial new coal-burning power plant.  (April 19, 2010)
  
• EKPC financing questioned — Customers ask for federal review of EKPC's plans to finance a controversial new coal-burning power plant. (Feb. 23, 2010)

• The Right Decision for Changing Times — A financial report shows that the East Kentucky Power Cooperative should avoid the high capital costs of a new coal-burning power plant, or its already weak financial position will worsen. (April 7, 2009)
• KFTC Statement on House Bill 537 (March 17, 2009)
• House Bill 119 would weaken important mine safety law — Eastern Kentucky legislators supporting measure, citizens and miners group oppose it (February 23, 2009)
  
• Power Past Coal project launched; 100 actions planned in Obama's first 100 days (January 20, 2009)
  

KFTC basic information

• KFTC is a grassroots social justice organization.
• KFTC formed in 1981 in eastern Kentucky.
• We have more than 6,800 members, the largest number in our 29-year history.