Short-sighted bill to allow more water pollution could hurt Kentucky in numerous ways | Opinion

Kentucky Senate Bill 89 just passed out of the Natural Resources & Energy Committee. This bill, supported by the state coal industry, has the potential to cause severe harm both to the environment and economy of Kentucky, and the Bluegrass specifically. This bill would change the definition of “waters” protected by Kentucky from the current definition of “streams, lakes, groundwater, or other bodies of water in the Commonwealth which may be applied to any useful and beneficial purpose” to the definition of the federal government which applies only to bodies of water that are large enough for boating. Such a move would risk damage to Kentuckians’ shared natural resources and harm our people and economy.

The Environmental Protection Agency is only one level of regulation we rely on to keep our communities and environment safe. That support currently is in a state of transition and the agency’s ability to effectively monitor even the larger expanses of water is uncertain. If Kentucky reduces our independent oversight of groundwater, wetlands, springs and streams, there will be no protection from pollution that could endanger the health of our communities and industries that rely upon clean water. The wildlife that conservationists and sportsman alike care for, and the economic value they bring, for would be placed at risk.

I live on Clear Creek in Woodford County. The stream is exceedingly clean and is a playground for my grandchildren to splash, hunt for treasures, and fish. If the stream was polluted from an unregulated company far upstream via the wetlands, sinkholes and springs that this bill would remove from protection, the ability for my youngsters to play safely in the water would disappear, along with much of the wildlife. This loss could play out in communities across the state if this bill passes.

For example, Glenn’s Creek flows along both Woodford Reserve and Clear Creek Distilleries. These are two of the largest tourism destinations in the Bluegrass, and having polluted water flow past them could be devastating to one of our major industries. Farmers could see wells they rely on for livestock and irrigation ruined by facilities that are free to operate, so long as they don’t immediately discharge into “navigable” waters.

If you feel that these changes would have no effect on your own lives, consider the long-term damage to the Bluegrass and the lives or your children and grandchildren. We must be stewards of their future, and not the small conveniences of a few industries or politicians in the present.

Ronald Burgess is a orthopedic surgeon who works in Lexington and lives in Woodford County.