Oldham County asked to monitor air, water quality
Groups say Dynegy flap shows interest

By Leslie Ellis
The Courier-Journal   July 25, 2001

Two Oldham County groups are urging Fiscal Court to hire an independent testing lab to evaluate and monitor the county's air and water quality.

The Oldham County Economic Development Authority and the Oldham Ahead citizens group, which monitors development, say debate over the Dynegy power plant has sent a clear message that residents are concerned about the environment.

The groups asked Fiscal Court magistrates on July 17 to initiate ''positive measures'' and pay for an independent monitoring system.

The county needs current information about the county's air and water quality and an ongoing system for tracking changes, said Fran Scott, chairman of the authority.

There's been a ''substantial call'' from the community for this kind of information, Scott said in an interview.

The Dynegy power plant under construction near Buckner has faced opposition from hundreds of residents who fear it will harm air quality and cause health problems.

Some have argued that Dynegy didn't do the extensive environmental reviews it promised in winning county support. The Community Against Power Plants group has filed two legal actions to stop the plant.

An environmental consultant the county hired has said the plant would not have a significant impact on air quality.

The monitoring system should not focus solely on Dynegy, but the county at large, the two groups said in a letter to Fiscal Court.

A county-sponsored program could give residents easy access to understandable results and could alleviate concerns, the letter added.

The state currently has only one air-quality monitoring station in the county, which takes ozone readings. The state has done some water-quality testing, however, and Oldham is part of a five-year regional study of streams in the Salt River watershed.

Dynegy will be required to monitor its emissions and file reports with the state.

But an independent study will help ''solve the credibility problem,'' Scott said, because it should be more believable than a study paid for by industry or a particular group.

Environmental concerns will be a key issue in evaluating future business and industrial prospects, Scott said in an interview, and the county needs more information to do that.

''It's imperative the county take actions that send a clear message to potential employers and county citizens alike that future economic development and the protection of the natural resources and the environment are not mutually exclusive,'' the letter said. ''The county can achieve economic development goals while sustaining clean air and water for future generations.''

Placing an emphasis on environmental information, Scott said, ''will tend to discourage the very businesses and industries we don't want moving into Oldham County.''

While no formal vote was taken, Judge-Executive John Black said after a brief discussion that there seemed to be agreement among magistrates to consider such a program. He asked the court's economic-development committee to work with the groups.

Committee member Wayne Theiss said he had already gotten one cost estimate of $50,000 a year.

Initial testing would determine the current level of critical pollutants and compare them to federal safe limits. Follow-up comparison testing would be done, and special efforts would be made to publicize the information.

With a county-funded study, said Magistrate Mary Ellen Kinser, ''we are in control.''

Magistrate Hartley Winters said he'd like to see if the federal Environmental Protection Agency would install more airquality monitors in the county.

DYNEGY REPORT:

Fiscal Court OKs its responses to questions about plant. Page 2