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Governor Steve Beshear's Communications Office
Statement by Governor Steve Beshear
FRANKFORT, Ky.– “Today the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet (EEC) filed a complaint and consent judgment regarding discharge monitoring reports from laboratories used by two mining companies.
The lack of statutory and regulatory authority for the state to mandate certification of wastewater labs that do water quality testing for coal companies must be addressed immediately. I, along with Energy and Environment Cabinet Secretary Len Peters, am calling for mandatory certification and regulatory oversight of the labs that do wastewater testing as a first step in assuring these labs and the coal companies for which they work provide accurate data.
The issues outlined today by Sec. Peters and his staff with regard to the many violations surrounding the data reported by the labs contracted by ICG Inc. and its subsidiaries, and Frasure Creek Mining are a direct result of these labs not being certified or being held accountable for their actions.
I ask the General Assembly to support this proposal, which has been proposed previously and supported by EEC but was never passed by the General Assembly. We must work cooperatively to bring about changes in statutes and regulations that help protect our environment while, at the same time, allowing our coal industry to continue its work in meeting the energy needs of the Commonwealth.”
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