Martin County Water District Workgroup to Meet March 31

Video conference will start at 1 p.m.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 22, 2023) – The Martin County Water District (MCWD) Workgroup will meet by videoconference on March 31, 2023, from 1– 3p.m. Eastern time. If you have questions about connecting to the videoconference, please contact Kim Greenidge at 502-782-6630. 

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Agenda 

• Welcome and opening remarks – EEC Secretary Rebecca Goodman 
• Introductions and announcements – DOW Director Carey Johnson
• Update of MCWD operations – Alliance Water Resources – Tony Sneed and Tyler Hall
  • Martin County update
• Open discussion – facilitated by Carey Johnson
• Future workgroup meeting proposed date and time
  • July 7, 2023, 1-3 pm
• Adjourn

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Gov. Beshear Announces $4.2 Million in Tobacco Settlement Funds to Support Kentucky Farmers

345 projects to receive funding through the Kentucky Soil and Water Conservation Commission

FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 7, 2023) – Gov. Andy Beshear announced today that the Kentucky Soil and Water Conservation Commission has selected 345 Kentucky farm projects to receive a total of $4,203,631 in tobacco settlement funds.

The money will help farmers promote practices that protect water quality and prevent soil erosion. Projects include alternative water sources for livestock, grassed waterways, fencing to facilitate rotational grazing and cover crops.

“When Kentucky’s farming families prosper, so does Team Kentucky,” Gov. Beshear said. “Through this funding, our farm owners are able to address issues that impact our environment and implement practices that improve productivity and increase their bottom line.”

Tobacco Master Settlement funds are appropriated each year by the General Assembly to support the program. Funds are distributed with the assistance of the 121 Soil and Water Conservation Districts across Kentucky which work with local farmers to verify and submit proposed projects for consideration. Award recipients have two years to complete the project. 

The Conservation Commission has obligated more than $180 million in state cost share funds over the past 30 years. In fiscal year 2022, reimbursements were made for the completion of 456 projects. These included more than 50 miles of fence, 1553 acres of cover crop and about 20 miles of pipeline to supply 184 waterers. 

The most recent list of applications, approved by county, can be seen here. 

Soil and Water Conservation Commission Chair Danny Shipley, a farmer in Allen County said, “The Cost Share Program helps farmers and landowners throughout Kentucky be better stewards of our land. The program helps landowners address existing soil erosion, water quality and other environmental problems associated with their farming or woodland operation.”

The Soil and Water Conservation Commission is administered by the Division of Conservation, within the Energy and Environment Cabinet.

“We’re honored to work with our farming community through this and many other programs,” Energy and Environment Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Goodman said. “It’s inspiring to see how these projects make such a difference for our farmers.”

Allan Bryant, chair of the Kentucky Association of Conservation Districts and farmer in Henry County, said: “These funds give us the opportunity to take better care of our land for the next generation. I’m happy to say that the partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Kentucky Division of Conservation and conservation districts across the state stand ready to assist and provide technical knowledge to install and make these practices work.”

For more information about the State Cost Share Program, contact the Soil and Water Conservation District in your county or click here.

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Kentucky Drinking Water and Clean Water Advisory Workgroup to Meet March 14

FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 6, 2023) – The Drinking Water and Clean Water Advisory Workgroup will meet virtually on Tuesday, March 14 at 10 a.m. Eastern time.

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For any issues with meeting access, please contact Kim Greenidge at Kim.Greenidge@ky.gov or (502) 782-6630.

Agenda (subject to change)

• Welcome and opening remarks – Carey Johnson, director, Division of Water
• Division of Water focus items – Carey Johnson
  • East Palestine spill
  • Legislation
  • Flood recovery
  • PFAS
• Department for Environmental Protection – Tony Hatton, commissioner
  • PFAS sludge sampling
• Presentations: Lead in drinking water update – Elizabeth Dowling, environmental scientist, DOW
• Committee reports – Carey Johnson
• Announcements facilitated by Carey Johnson
• Adjourn

2023 DWAW/CWAW meeting schedule (2nd Tuesday of the last month of the quarter): 10 a.m. Eastern time on June 13, September 12, December 12.  

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Applications Open for Rubber-Modified Asphalt Grants

Application deadline is May 1, 2023

FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 1, 2023) – Energy and Environment Cabinet Secretary Rebecca W. Goodman announced today that grant funding will be made available to county or metro-government entities for local road projects that utilize rubber-modified asphalt, which uses rubber from finely ground waste tires.

Applications must be received by May 1, 2023.

“The division is excited to offer these grants to Kentucky counties,” said Tammi Hudson, director of the Division of Waste Management. “We believe rubber-modified asphalt can provide several benefits, including promoting a cost-effective, performance-enhancing additive for county paving projects, and improving end-use markets for recycled tires which can lead to better waste tire management across the Commonwealth.”

Counties or metro governments can apply for funding for either chip seal or thin asphalt overlay projects. Chip seal is a pavement surface treatment that combines one or more layers of liquid asphalt with one or more layers of fine aggregate. Asphalt overlay consists of a new layer of asphalt applied over an existing road surface. Rubber-modified asphalt can reduce road noise and long-term maintenance costs and increase the life of the roadway.

The money for these projects comes from the Kentucky Waste Tire Trust Fund, which receives $2 from every new tire sold in the Commonwealth. In addition to promoting the development of markets for recycled waste tires, the fund also provides monies for waste tire collection events, tire dumpsite clean-ups, and grants for counties to manage waste tires.

The cabinet will be performing short-term and long-term testing to assess the effectiveness of rubber-modified asphalt in Kentucky. As a condition of the grant funding, counties will agree to pay for the application of conventional chip seal or thin overlay on roads in their counties with similar characteristics to allow for comparison between conventional and rubber-modified asphalt.

For more information, contact Darin Steen at (502) 782-6039 or darin.steen@ky.gov. You may also visit the division’s website at Grants | Recycling and Local Assistance

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Public Comment Period Now Open for Impaired Waters

Draft 2022 303(d) List at Public Notice, February 21, 2023

The Kentucky Division of Water has opened a 60-day comment period on the draft 2022 303(d) list of impaired waters as required by KRS 224.70-150.  Comments received by email or mail must be dated or postmarked no later than April 22, 2023. Comments on the draft 303(d) list may be sent:

• Via email (preferred method) to TMDL@ky.gov (Subject line: “303(d) List”)
• Via U.S. Mail to: 
  Water Quality Branch (ATTN: 303(d) List)
  Kentucky Division of Water
  300 Sower Blvd., 3^rd Floor
  Frankfort, KY 40601

The Division has developed a dedicated public notice site to view the draft 303(d) list, new listings, proposed delistings, waters with completed total maximum daily loads (TMDLs), and the 305(b) list. Spreadsheets and interactive maps with video tutorials are available through this site. Links to assessment summaries and TMDL documents are available through the map dashboards or in the provided spreadsheets. 

Section 305(b) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) requires states to report to Congress every two years on the health of waters in the state, and whether the water quality of individual waterbodies is sufficient to support their designated uses. In Kentucky, these designated uses include primary contact recreation, secondary contact recreation, aquatic life, domestic water supply, fish consumption, and outstanding state resource waters. The Division determines if a waterbody meets its designated use by using water quality sampling and assessment methodologies developed by the state and approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Section 303(d) of the CWA requires states to identify impaired waters, the pollutant(s) causing the impairment, and to develop a TMDL for each of those pollutants.  Section 303(d) also requires states to prioritize waters for TMDL development. The TMDL, which is a daily maximum allowance for a pollutant, supports plans and strategies for restoring water quality.

This reporting cycle represents monitoring efforts that took place between 2016 and 2020.  In total 1,047 sampling locations contributed data to the 2022 cycle, and 615 assessments were completed.  DOW’s Ambient Rivers program sampled the following basin management units (BMUs): Big and Little Sandy Rivers and Tygarts Creek BMU, Kentucky River BMU, Salt and Licking Rivers BMU, and Upper Cumberland and Four Rivers BMU.  Data collected by other internal programs, such as ambient lakes, fish tissue, and intensive survey, provide updates throughout the state, while data collected by the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) were used to update assessments along the Ohio River. 

The draft 2022 305(b) list has 2,953 assessment units representing 13,136.4 river miles, 212,585 lake/reservoir acres, and 170,469 springshed acres, while the 2018-2020 305(b) list has 2,879 assessment units. The additional assessment units have been added by 1) splitting an existing assessment unit into two or more assessment units, or 2) by assessing a previously unassessed waterbody. 

As part of the 2022 cycle, the entire Ohio River was re-segmented in recognition of domestic water supply intakes and additional applicable designated uses, such as Outstanding State Resource Waters (OSRW).  This re-segmentation occurred by splitting existing Ohio River assessment units into two or more assessment units, making the number of assessment units along the Ohio River increase from 49 to 77.  However, the number of miles assessed along the Ohio River has not changed. The modifications spreadsheet provided on the ‘Welcome Tab’ of the public notice site has information about all assessment units that were re-segmented as part of the 2022 cycle.    

Assessment results from the 2018-2020 Integrated Report can be accessed at the Kentucky Water Health Portal.  Upon EPA approval of the 2022 303(d) list, the Water Health Portal will be updated with the 2022 305(b) assessment information.    

New listings map from the public notice site, which displays waterbodies with pollutants that are newly listed on the 2022 303(d) list as causes of impairment (not meeting water quality standards) and require a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL).

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Partnership to Support Brownfield Redevelopment

New life could be breathed into abandoned or blighted properties in your community thanks to an innovative partnership and public outreach effort. The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet (EEC) has partnered with the University of Kentucky Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky (CEDIK) to conduct a concerted informational campaign around funding opportunities and help local communities redevelop brownfield sites.

Brownfields are abandoned, unused, or underused properties where redevelopment is hindered due to known or suspected contamination. Although often considered problem properties, brownfields can be redeveloped and turned into opportunities to clean up the environment, boost the local economy, and build a stronger community.

UK’s CEDIK has extensive experience working with groups to foster community and economic development and providing grant education. “This was the perfect marriage,” said Eric Eisiminger, EEC’s Brownfield Program coordinator. “Our knowledge of brownfield redevelopment and their expertise in economic development and grant education should prove to be a great team.”

The goal is to provide basic fundamentals of brownfield redevelopment and grant writing guidance in the hopes of encouraging local communities that have not historically taken advantage of the Brownfield Program. Guidance can be provided through the phase I and phase II site assessment process.

“Most downtown revitalization projects will typically include brownfield redevelopment of some sort,” Eisiminger said. “So this will be a win-win for both agencies.”

Shane Barton, downtown revitalization coordinator for CEDIK agreed, “We believe our downtown revitalization work in Kentucky communities will be much more effective because of this collaboration.  Nearly every downtown has at least one building that is stuck in the redevelopment process and this partnership allows our organizations to bring the right resources to bear in underserved communities that have long requested this type of collaborative approach.”

CEDIK’s five-year, $257,000 per year contract is funded through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). Scheduling of outreach events should begin in early spring and will be posted on both organization’s websites and social media outlets.

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Spring Wildfire Hazard Season is Here

Restrictions begin today through April 30. Citizens urged to be careful if burning outdoors. 

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Feb. 15, 2023) – The Spring Wildfire Hazard Season throughout Kentucky begins today and lasts until April 30. The law prohibits any person from burning between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. within 150 feet of any woodland or brushland. 

The Kentucky Division of Forestry (KDF) urges residents across the state to exercise caution when burning debris, and to consider all factors to help maximize the safety of people, property and the forest.

“There is more moisture in the soil compared to last fall when we were in a drought, but the leaves and fuel on the ground quickly dry on sunny, windy days,” said Division of Forestry Director / State Forester Brandon Howard.  “In many areas we are still recovering from last year’s natural disasters which have resulted in more fuel if a wildfire occurs.  We ask that if debris burning occurs, take proper precautions to prevent fires from escaping and becoming wildfires. And as always, report any suspected arson activity to local law enforcement.”

March and April are typically high wildfire occurrence months, but the division has already responded to 116 wildland fires since January 1. While 10% of the wildfires so far this year were a result of downed power lines sparking fires during wind events, the majority of the wildfires have been a result of outdoor debris burning and arson. 

The division responds to more than 1,000 wildfires annually across the state. Partners such as the Daniel Boone National Forest and local fire departments also respond to several wildfires. 

Forestry officials say that public efforts can go a long way in reducing the occurrence of wildfire. Taking extra precautions with debris fires and campfires and being alert to forest arson can eliminate the majority of wildfires that occur in Kentucky.

• Be aware of all outdoor burning restrictions, including forest fire hazard seasons, air pollution regulations, restrictions imposed by local ordinances, and county burn bans. The Division for Air Quality has many outdoor burning restrictions. More information can be found at https://eec.ky.gov/Environmental-Protection/Air/Pages/Open-Burning.aspx
• Avoid burning debris during fire hazard seasons and during times of dry, windy conditions. Outdoor burning is illegal between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. in or within 150 feet of any woodland or brushland during forest wildfire hazard seasons.
• Incorporate “Firewise” practices around homes and communities in forested areas, which includes creating a defensible space around homes by removing leaves, debris, and firewood. Learn more at https://eec.ky.gov/Natural-Resources/Forestry/wildland-fire-management/Pages/Kentucky-Firewise-Program.aspx
• Report suspicious acts of arson to local law enforcement, the nearest Kentucky State Police post or call the Target Arson Hotline at 1-800-27-ARSON.

If you are burning agriculture residue and forestland litter, a fire line should be plowed around the area to be burned. Large fields should be separated into small plots for burning one at a time. Before beginning any burning in a wooded area, contact your KDF county forest ranger who will weigh all factors, explain them, and offer advice.

For more information on ways that you can prevent wildfires and loss of property, along with a map of local KDF field offices, visit https://eec.ky.gov/Natural-Resources/Forestry/wildland-fire-management/Pages/default.aspx

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Kentucky Soil and Water Conservation Commission, Kentucky Association of Conservation Districts to Meet February 22

Meeting will begin at 9 a.m.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Feb. 8, 2023) – The Kentucky Soil and Water Conservation Commission will hold a joint meeting with the Kentucky Association of Conservation Districts on February 22 at 9 a.m. Eastern time. The meeting will be held at The Elizabeth, 306 Wapping Street, Frankfort, Ky. If you have questions, please contact Johnna McHugh at 502-782-6703.

AGENDA

1. Call to order and introductions
2. Minutes of the last meeting
3. Agency reports
4. Correspondence
5. Equipment report and new loan requests
6. Approval of vacancy petitions and incentive per diem
7. Agriculture district program
8. NACD director’s report
9. Old business
10. New business
    1. NACD spring fly-in
    2. KACD area meeting updates
    3. 2023 KACD annual meeting
    4. 2023 State Cost Share approval
    5. 2023 environmental grants
11. Adjourn

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Kentucky Oil and Gas Workgroup to Meet February 10

Hybrid meeting will begin at 10 a.m.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Feb. 6, 2023) – The Kentucky Oil and Gas Workgroup will meet February 10, 2023 at 10 a.m. Eastern time. Attend the meeting in-person at the Energy and Environment Cabinet, 300 Sower Blvd., Frankfort, Kentucky, or virtually via Microsoft Teams.

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Agenda:

• Updates on Infrastructure Bill – Current status of well plugging, and initial grant and formula grant processes.
• Pit water characterization
  • Sampling SOP example and next steps for sub workgroup 
• Hydrogen Summit report and class VI wells discussion 
• New business 
• Public comment period

Next meeting date scheduled: April 7, 2023 at 10 a.m.

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Gov. Beshear Announces Nearly $534,000 in Grants to 14 Kentucky Counties to Clean Up Illegal Open Dumps

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Feb. 2, 2023) – Gov. Andy Beshear and Kentucky Energy and Environment (EEC) Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Goodman today announced approximately $534,000 in grants for the cleanup of 62 illegal dumps in 14 counties across the commonwealth.

The grant funding is used to clean sites where household solid waste such as couches, tires, coolers and bedding has been illegally dumped.  Not only are these dumps an eyesore in municipalities, but they can be a health hazard due to exposed debris and vermin. Once cleaned, the sites offer locations for revenue-producing businesses. 

“Kentucky families deserve for their communities to be clean and safe. Illegal dump sites can affect Kentuckians’ quality of life and the health and vitality of communities,” Gov. Beshear said. “Thousands of our people will benefit from this grant program.”

The grants will be used in the following counties and sites:  Butler (4), Calloway, Carlisle, Christian (2), Hart (3), Hopkins, Johnson (4), Lawrence (4), Logan, Metcalfe, Pike (10), Scott, Warren and Wolfe (28).

As part of the grant funding, counties must agree to provide a 25 percent match of the grant amount.  The EEC may waive the 25 percent match on any individual illegal open dump where cleanup costs exceed $50,000.

“This grant has funded the cleanups for close to 2,700 dump sites across the state since its creation in 2006,” Secretary Goodman said.  “I am encouraged that these communities have taken action through this wonderful program.”

Grants for the Illegal Open Dump Grant Program comes from the Kentucky Pride Fund, which is generated through a $1.75 environmental remediation fee for each ton of garbage dumped at Kentucky municipal solid waste landfills.  This “tipping fee” was first authorized by the 2002 General Assembly under House Bill 174, for use in a dump cleanup reimbursement program, and for the remediation of historic landfills. In 2006, Senate Bill 50 changed the reimbursement program to a grant program and expanded the scope of the fund to address household hazardous waste collection and recycling infrastructure.

Kentucky has made significant progress in addressing the illegal dump issue thanks to this funding, along with statewide cleanup and educational campaigns by local, state and federal agencies.

For grant amounts, please call your local solid waste coordinator or contact Lisa Evans at 502-782-6355 or lisa.evans@kygov

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