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Thumbs up, thumbs down

December 04, 2008|Randy Patrick

Thumbs up for leaders in biofuel plant talks

If you could do something that enhanced local economic development, brought more jobs to our community, helped our farmers, improved our environment, contributed to energy self-sufficiency and even strengthened our national security by making us less dependent on foreign oil, wouldn't you do it?

That's the choice our city and county elected officials, in cooperation with the local industrial authority, the state, Eastern Kentucky University, and the company General Atomics, are confronted with in negotiating to locate a biofuel plant in Winchester..

On Monday, the parties announced that within the next 18 to 24 months, researchers will examine the potential to produce biodiesel fuel from non-food agricultural products like switchgrass. If research shows the project is viable, Winchester would be the likely location for a multimillion-dollar processing plant.

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If it proves feasible, it will be a big gain for Clark County.

Our local leaders should be commended for their efforts.

Thumbs down to the EPA

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency gets a thumbs down for its decision this week to remove protections for streams in mountaintop removal mining of coal.

The decision weakens a 1983 law that prohibited surface coal mining activities within 100 feet of flowing streams and clears the way for greater expansion of the horrendous practice of blasting the tops off mountains and bulldozing the "overfill" into valleys.

Let's hope that under President Obama, the EPA returns to its purpose of protecting the environment instead of protecting the polluters.

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