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SubscribeLouisville Metro residents have three good options for disposal of falling leaves this autumn. The best option is a “Love ‘em and Leave ‘em” approach that leads to healthier yards as described below.
Other choices, in order of preference, include reusable containers and compostable containers. As a last resort the Solid Waste Management Division of Public Works is offering a free leaf drop-off service. The drop-off service will be available Tuesday through Saturday, November 10 through December 5.
Drop-off will not be available on November 26 and 27 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Only loose leaves will be accepted. They will be turned into compost and used in mulching projects throughout the city. Containers used to bring leaves to the drop-off sites must be disposed of off-site by residents.
This is the first leaf season since enforcement of an update to the Yard Waste Container Regulation went into effect on January 1, 2015. The update requires that yard waste be disposed of in reusable or compostable containers instead of regular plastic bags.
The drop-off service will complement methods citizens used successfully to comply with the regulation through the planting and growing seasons. Residents are urged to consider one of the following disposal methods before using the drop-off service:
Best: For a healthier lawn, mulch leaves with a lawnmower and let them settle into the turf system along with grass clippings and trimmings as a natural fertilizer and weed deterrent. Get more information on this Love ‘em and Leave ‘em approach at www.lelelouisville.com.
Next Best: Place yard waste in reusable containers no larger than 40 gallon capacity that have handles (old style trash cans) to reduce the need for continual purchase of single-use bags.
Still Good: Place yard waste in paper bags designed for yard waste collection or in compostable plastic bags that meet ASTM D6400 standards.
Drop-off locations and hours:
NOVEMBER 10th through DECEMBER 5th
10500 Lower River Road (corner of Bethany Lane)
Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
595 Hubbards Lane at the East District Public Works Yard
Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
636 Meriwether Avenue at the Waste Reduction Center
Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Today Attorney General Jack Conway joined Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and 15 other states in a legal action against the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for illegally invalidating the individual air quality protection plans in each of those states. In May, the EPA issued a final rule requiring 36 states, including Kentucky, to revise their individual State Implementation Plans (SIP) governing emissions during Startup, Shutdown or Malfunction (SSM) of power plants and manufacturers.
“For decades Kentucky has self-regulated air quality standards during startup, shutdown and the malfunction of power plants and manufacturers in our state,” said Attorney General Conway. “Now the EPA is once again using heavy-handed federal overreach that threatens our ability to implement a plan that works best for Kentucky. The EPA is demanding that Kentucky scrap its system that has improved our state’s air quality, and once again substituted its judgment for ours. This is very likely to result in higher utility bills for Kentucky consumers. I am confident the courts will again rule that the EPA has overstepped its authority.”
The Clean Air Act establishes a cooperative approach to regulating the nation’s air quality and dictates that EPA has the primary responsibility to identify air pollutants that pose a threat to public health and to set national air quality standards; however, the Act gives states the primary responsibility to determine how to achieve those standards. For decades states have ensured compliance with the standards set for power plant and manufacturing SSM through their individual SIPs.
The EPA’s final rule illegally requiring the states to change their previously approved SIPs, came after they agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by the Sierra Club. The EPA’s rush to settle that matter has led to the adoption of an illegal final rule that is in conflict with the Clean Air Act and imposes on Kentucky’s right to determine the most effective strategy for achieving air quality standards.
Today, Attorney General Conway joined Florida and 15 states in filing a petition for review in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit asking the Court to review the EPA’s final rule. Besides the clear violation of state’s rights enumerated in the Clean Air Act, the final rule also stands to stall or reverse progress Kentucky has made in improving the quality of the air in the Commonwealth.
As of Monday, regulators say that the tire pile that caught on fire in southwest Jefferson County last November is still smoldering. The fire is currently covered by layers of soil, which according to the regulators, is the only thing preventing the fire from re-igniting. At this time, it is unclear how the fire could continue to smolder.
The fire was at Liberty Tire Recycling, in the 14000 block of Bohannon Dr in southwest Jefferson County. Area residents have reported minor property damage from soot as the thick black smoke from the burning fires settled to the ground and some have expressed concerns for their children and pets as a result.
The Kentucky Energy and Enivornment Cabinet and the parent company of Liberty Tire reached an agreement on $40,000 in fines and several conditions that need to be met. State officials stated that tire company is complying with all conditions.
