LG&E Seeking Expanded Coal Ash Pond at Cane Run

The following was copied from an environmental activist's facebook page. It is very real and is eye-opening stuff. Although the deadline for action has passed, please familiarize yourself with this issue and take a stand when you can against any more of these fragile holding ponds. Coal ash exposure puts our health at risk. The EPA estimates that up to 1 in 50 nearby residents could get cancer from exposure to contaminants in poorly stored coal ash. Other health effects may include damage to vital organs and the central nervous system, especially in children.

E.ON’s Cane Run Power Station has applied for a Section 404 permit through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to add a 60-acre coal combustion waste (CCW) landfill adjacent to the power plant.

The current CCW pond on-site at the Cane Run Power Station is one of 44 classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as “high hazard” – meaning that a spill would result in significant damage or loss of life.

CCW is the solid waste left over from burning coal. CCW is a combination of waste from the coal plant’s air filters and the residue from coal boilers. The ashy part of the waste, called coal ash, contains concentrated pollutants, including many toxins known to cause cancer in humans.

The proposed permit would:

* Allow 5.7 million cubic yards of CCW, which contains toxins known to be hazardous to human health, to be dumped on site. The U.S. EPA states that 1 in 50 adults and 1 in 100 children that live near CCW storage sites are at risk of developing cancer

* Allow more than 3,000 feet of ephemeral and intermittent streams and 8 wetland areas to be filled

* Allow use of an inferior containment liner that deteriorate over time, likely resulting in toxic chemicals leaching into groundwater

* Ignore restoration requirements for 5 of the wetlands and require only minimal restoration for the other 3

* Allow this waste to be dumped on land located at the end of the Ohio River floodwall, clearly in the river’s flood plain putting residents downstream at risk


--Find out more about the impacts coal ash can have on your community and health here.
--Louisville District Corps of Engineers Public Notice No. LRL-2010-35 is available for viewing here.

News and Nonsense: Happy St. Patrick's Day

- According to this news release from the mayor's office, Kentuckiana Curb will receive $1,125,000 in state incentives to create 50 jobs. Kentuckiana Curb is a metal fabrication shop and manufacturer of metal roofing components located in Jeffersontown.

- An insolent child was suspended from her middle school for failure to follow directions. The next thing you know, there's a "prayer circle" outside the school and the newspaper is reporting on the situation. Sounds like someone should be praying for forgiveness for using a child to further their political objectives. [CJ]

- The Vogt Achievement Scholarship Award winners have been announced by JCPS. 8 of the 20 winners are from schools in Southwest Louisville. Congratulations to all the students.

6 Local Biz's Get Gov't Loans - None in Southwest

From a metro government release:

Six businesses, including a new retail store in St. Matthews and downtown high-rise office tower, have received small-business loans this month from Louisville Metro Government.

The low-interest loans, totaling $392,500, will create new jobs and help expand the city’s economy, Mayor Jerry Abramson said.

The loans, approved this morning by the Louisville Metropolitan Business Development Corporation, are:

· $25,000 to Two Dazzle, a new retail store that will sell gifts, home accessories and seasonal decor. The shop, to open at 3819 Willis Avenue in St. Matthews, is owned by Ronda Simmons and Kimberly Marshall.

· $7,500 to Comfy Cow, an ice cream and desert store in Westport Village. The loan will help the shop, owned by Roy and Tim Koons-McGee purchase outdoor furniture that will double the store’s seating capacity.

· $100,000 to D & W Silks, a longtime Louisville company that will open a retail shop at 2306 Frankfort Avenue, in Crescent Hill. The loan will help the company purchase the building.

· $60,000 to Gilman’s Point, a commercial property being renovated at 220 Ridgeway Ave. The money will allow owners Theodore Mitzlaff and Stephen Smith to rehab the property, including adding accessible restrooms and improve the building’s facade.

· $100,000 to Atteberry Smith, a start-up cabinet and window business that will operate at Gilman’s Point, 220 Ridgeway Ave. The company is owned by Theodore Mitzlaff and Stephen Smith.

· $100,000 loan to Hertz Starks Building LLC, which owns the hi-rise office tower at 4th and Muhammad Ali Boulevard. The loan will assist in improving the building façade.

Of these six businesses, three are in St. Matthews. One is downtown.

Question: Are SW businesses simply not applying for these loans? Or are they being overlooked? If your SW business has applied for a METCO loan and been denied, I'd like to speak with you. Soon.

"Undecided" Leads Mayor's Race

- The Courier-Journal/WHAS11 Bluegrass Poll on the race for Louisville Mayor reveals, despite big money being raised, "Undecided" seems to have the advantage.

- An 11 year old Valley Station boy was killed yesterday after being shot with a BB rifle. [CJ]

- PRP Skate Zone opens March 17 at 6pm. Admission is only $5.00. Come on out and enjoy the grand opening.