The first confirmed case of a fatal bat disease has been found in Mammoth Cave National Park. White Nose Syndrome is a fungal disease that has killed millions of bats across North America. Nearly all infected bats die, and so far scientists haven’t been able to stop the spread of the fungus.
Kentucky Utilities will spend $57 million to install updated pollution control equipment and pay civil penalties under the terms of a proposed consent decree.
The money will go to installing a sulfuric acid mist emission control system at the company’s Ghent power plant, replace a coal-fired boiler and pay $300,000 in fines to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Kentucky’s second annual sandhill crane hunting season is officially underway. 332 hunters were granted permits to bag two birds each. The season will last until Jan. 13, or until 400 birds are killed. Rocky Pritchert is a migratory bird specialist for the Division of Fish and Wildlife. The initial plan is for sandhill crane hunting to last at least three years, and Pritchert says the state evaluates the results of the hunt every year.
Originally published on Wed November 28, 2012 11:29 am
Anyone who watched television footage of Lexington during last year’s Final Four knows that if you try hard enough, couches can burn. But because of a California state law requiring the inclusion of flame retardants, most are made with some chemicals designed to slow burning down. And a new analysis of couch cushions from around the country shows that several toxic or carcinogenic chemicals are still common ingredients in most couches.
A St. Louis-based coal company with mines throughout the region has agreed to phase out its mountaintop removal sites. Patriot Coal agreed to the measure as part of a settlement that grants the company more time to control water pollution at its mines in West Virginia.
EMA/MetroSafe is now saying the evacuation and road closures will likely last 24 hours after the incident.
Update: 10:55 a.m.
The evacuations and road closures caused by a train derailment and chemical leak in southwestern Jefferson County will likely last for at least 14 hours.
The drought that’s been plaguing areas of Kentucky and Indiana for much of the summer could end up having an effect on honeybee colonies, too. Sean Burgess is Kentucky’s state apiarist. He says this time of year is critical for bee colonies, because it’s when they harvest nectar to make the honey that nourishes them through the winter. Burgess says drought conditions have led to a shortage of flowering plants, but late summer blooms of goldenrod and aster could provide extra stores for the winter. He says many beekeepers have been supplementing the nectar by manually feeding their bees.
A new report says the country’s newest coal-burning power plant is far more expensive for ratepayers than expected. The report was released by the non-profit Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, and says that the Prairie State power plant in Illinois isn’t living up to its promises of cheap rates. The Kentucky Municipal Power Agency, or KMPA, owns about eight percent of the Prairie State plant, and provides power to the municipalities of Paducah and Princeton. KMPA issued nearly five hundred million dollars in bonds to buy its share of the generation, and General Manage
The National Park Service has appointed a new superintendent for Mammoth Cave National Park, near Bowling Green.
Sarah Craighead has worked at Mammoth Cave National Park before…but that was in 1979. She grew up near the park, and credits it with getting her started in the park system.
Since then, she’s headed up parks in Oklahoma and Arizona. She’s currently the superintendent of Death Valley National Park, and has also worked in parks in Maine and Virginia.
