Until Nov. 15, actually.
Solid Waste Branch director Ron Gruzesky told me today that he sent a letter to LG&E last week (while I was on furlough), instructing the company on what it needs to do next if it wants to secure a permit to dump large quantities of coal-burning waste in a landfill it seeks to build atop the cave. Trouble is, a cave protection law appears to prevent any such destruction.
State inspectors, who took the photo at lower right, heard water in the cave and documented cave live there during a visit last year. And now they cite earlier cave explorers who saw running water there and want the company to map extent of the cave and document the running water.
The letter, dated March 8, includes the following:
In order to demonstrate compliance with Kentucky Cave Protection Act, and to enable the DWM to grant a variance to 401 KAR 45:130 Section 1(3), LG&E is required to hire a qualified speleologist to survey, map and geologically characterize Wentworth Cave. The mapping and geological characterization of caves are highly specialized tasks which require considerable training and experience. The researcher employed for this task should be a Professional Geologist registered in the Commonwealth of Kentucky pursuant to KRS 322A, in addition to a member of the National Speleological Society and/or the Kentucky Speleological Survey. The researcher should also have extensive experience in mapping caves, and have demonstrated their expertise through published, peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals.
Gruzeksy said the cave appears to be a major obstacle for the landfill, but said there could possibly be room elsewhere on LG&E property for a landfill. Other options, he said, could include LG&E developing a coal-waste landfill off-site, or transporting its coal-burning waste to other landfills the company owns.It has two other ash dumps in Louisville.
Source: Courier Journal