This a letter from one of the lady fighting the pipeline that is affecting Bernheim Frrest and the residents of bullitt county 

 

 

 

 

Good Morning,

 

I am writing today, as I have many times before, about the planned LG&E Bullitt County natural gas pipeline. I am deeply concerned about the environmental impacts of this pipeline given the route chosen by LG&E. On my land, in particular, I have what is well-documented as “intense karst” land. There are multiple caves, underground springs, and sinkholes that are not documented anywhere on LG&E’s “surveys” and will be in the direct path of the planned pipeline. Additionally, whereas I am situated on a hill, the property next to me is in the flood plain. The planned pipeline will enter my land via the floodplain land before boring through a cliff. I am attaching pictures of some of the features in hopes that someone will take note that these things exist in spite of LG&E’s negligence in omitting them from formal documentation. No watershed surveying has been completed and especially given the status of Cox Creek's ecoli contamination with the plans for the pipeline to cross/alter it, I am worried about my community's groundwater. Lastly, the listed habitat on my land has not been adequately surveyed or documented.  

 

LG&E has shown a total disregard for safety throughout the planning for the pipeline. As already noted, they have failed to document features of land which could have significant impacts on the environment as well as a human cost. My underground springs feed my ponds. The pipeline path will cut through the underground springs, with a high probability of rerouting/contaminating the water and subsequently my ponds. Contamination of water does not seem to be a concern for LG&E as evidenced by the drilling that took place in October of 2017 on my property line. The drilling went to an admitted 340 feet and spewed natural gas for 5 days, per LG&E’s own report. LG&E claims in their seemingly endless articles of propaganda that they kept watch of the well around the clock until the gas had dispersed. This is entirely false. This well was one of 12, per LG&E’s report. I am unaware of the other locations but, per LG&E’s own report, several other wells also emitted natural gas for days at a time. 

 

The fact that the wells dispersed gas with no warning to neighbors is concerning but what is even more so alarming is that the drillers failed to adequately cap the well on my property line. In early February of 2018, I reported concerns to DOW and EEC. In February, I spoke with Marvin Combs with EEC on the phone. Marvin advised that LG&E had to pull a permit for the well and no such permit was pulled. Marvin asked me several times if I was certain the well was drilled to a depth of over 300 ft and I answered in the affirmative. Marvin stated that LG&E had no such authority to drill such a well and such drilling would not be appropriate for a planned pipeline of 5 feet deep. Marvin was clearly bothered by my report stating he would call me back for an inspection. When I did not hear from him for some time, I reached out to Dennis Hatfield, a director with EEC. Mr. Hatfield arranged for an inspection and when Marvin Combs came to my property, he advised that he had talked to LG&E and no such permit was required for their drilling—a statement in sharp contrast to what he stated on the phone just weeks earlier. After this “inspection,” I noted water bubbling up from the drilled well and reported this to EEC yet again. Scotty Robertson came to my land to inspect. Scotty advised that the well was certainly not plugged adequately, that he would fine/cite the drillers and ensure the well was capped sufficiently. The land was dry when the inspection occurred but a large amount of water was around the well. No water samples were obtained. Scotty did not return to ensure the well was capped, instead after I emailed him asking for confirmation, Scotty stated that the driller told him he capped it and that he didn’t need to reinspect as he took the driller at his word. Most concerning is that there are 11 other wells in the community. Their locations are unknown and I fear that they were also not capped adequately/safely.

 

 

 

Recent reports in the media indicate that such drilling causes health issues, autoimmune conditions, and has been linked to childhood cancers of which rates skyrocket within the perimeter of drilled wells. The state of Pennsylvania just allocated $3 million for a pair of studies to explore the health effects of such drilling due to children being diagnosed with certain forms of cancer when exposed to such drilling. The well drilled on my property line is on the property known as “Slow Poke Farm.” The significance of this is that Slow Poke has daily busloads of children in the month of October for their pumpkin patch and fall festival. These children come from communities including Bullitt, Oldham, Spencer, and Jefferson and were exposed to this open well during their October visits. LG&E has taken every action, with the support of state agencies, to ensure the locations of the other 11 wells remain unknown and the public has been given no information at all about these wells. How can the community trust that the wells were adequately capped when we can’t even ascertain their locations? And when state inspectors don’t bother to reinspect wells that were not capped adequately by drillers the first time, instead taking them “at their word?”

 

My 125 acres has been uninhabited by humans for decades and has unique features including Kentucky Glade Cress of quality “on par with the nature preserves” per botanists reports. UK completed a study documenting the plant on nearby farms but were not granted access by the previous owners of my land so finding such a high quality glade not known to previously exist is quite important for the species. LG&E’s planned line will go directly through the area of Kentucky Glade Cress. To my knowledge, LG&E also completed no studies pertaining to bats on my land. It is otherwise documented that my land houses two species of listed bats. How is it that a landowner is interested in preserving the habitat on private land but the agencies designed to do so are not enforcing adequate surveying?

 

I am requesting that agency oversight occur to ensure that LG&E does not continue to ruthlessly and with complete contempt continue on with the planned path that will undoubtedly contaminate our waters. While my ponds aquatic life depends on uncontaminated water, that concern pales in comparison to my neighbors who have no access to city water and rely on their groundwater/wells for their personal use. Cox Creek is already impaired with ecoli, per Kentucky Division of Water written reports. LG&E obtained a permit to cross Cox Creek for this project. How can a permit be granted that will affect the watersheds of an already impaired waterway? No watershed testing has taken place; no stream quality testing has been completed. LG&E has managed to skirt what would seem to be basic standards of surveying for such a project by avoiding completion of an environmental impact study, which LG&E has to know would not be approved.

 

Additionally, I am requesting agency oversight to investigate why the features on my land are not noted anywhere on LG&E’s surveys. LG&E seems to acknowledge the unstable and “intense karst” terrain of my land and even provided written confirmation that they can only bury the 12 inch high pressured industrial line just three feet deep given the nature of my land. Beyond that, they do not acknowledge the many sinkholes that are indicative of an underground cave system nor do they acknowledge the actual caves. I am certain that mine is not the only land LG&E failed to complete full and truthful surveying on.

 

I would welcome any state agency at any time to come to my land and assess the perils I have noted.

 

 

 

In the attached pictures, you will see some of the caves, sinkholes, and underground springs on my property. You will also see a picture of the neighbor’s land completely underwater from the rains we had this weekend. If you look closely in one of the pictures, you can see LG&Es survey flag where they plan to enter my property through that land with the flooding in the background.

 

Sincerely,

 

Vanessa Allen

 

Shepherdsville Ky 40165