Interview with Tom Fitzgerald, July 21, 1989

Partial Transcript: This is an unrehearsed interview with Tom Fitzgerald of the Kentucky Resources Council on July 21st, 1989.

Segment Synopsis: Fitzgerald describes his battle with the National Forest Service over land-use in the Daniel Boone National Forest. The primary issue is the allowance of companies to conduct timber cutting along protected river areas.

Keywords: Appeal; Compliance; Congressional delegation; Daniel Boone National Forest; Deficit; Developers; Environmental laws; Falls; Hal Rogers; Issues; Kentucky Natural Resources Council; Land; Land and water conservation; Land exchanges; Land tracts; Leasing; Negotiations; Pressure; Quality; Species protection; Stewardship; Supervisor; Sustainable land-use; Timber sales; U.S. Department of Agriculture; Wild rivers

Subjects: Air; Biology; Budget; Culture; Gas companies; Inholdings; Land use; Management; Mineral lands; Money; Monitoring; National Forest System (U.S.); Natural resources; Press; Rivers; Sales; Timber; Water

Partial Transcript: The council does not get that actively involved in litigation, uh, as a rule.

Segment Synopsis: Fitzgerald discusses the various civil litigation cases that the Kentucky Natural Resources Council has participated in.

Keywords: "Right of Intervention"; Aquifers; Community; Creek; Drilling; Enforcement; Groundwater data; Inspectors; Interest groups; Issues; Kentucky; Kentucky Natural Resources Council; Mining permits; National Mines Corporation; Political pressure; State programs; Violations; Wells

Subjects: Bureaucrats; Class actions (Civil procedure); Exemption (Law); Groundwater; Hearing; Litigation; National Wildlife Federation; Quality of life; Training

Partial Transcript: The other thing we wanted to pick up was, um, uh, regarding the Johnson County injunction...

Segment Synopsis: Fitzgerald details the Johnson County Injunction case that the council participated in. The events that caused this injunction to occur are also chronicled.

Keywords: "Narrative standard"; "Wasteload allocation"; Alternative technologies; Ashland, Inc.; Bonanza Oil Company; Brine; Bromide; Chloride; Citizens; Clients; Coal operators; Congress; Contamination; Drinking water standard; Effluent standards; Enforcement; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Exemptions; Federal enforcement; Federal standards; Flathead minnows; Gas wells; Industry; Jobs; Kentucky; Kentucky Natural Resources Council; Lexington (Ky.); Negotiations; Notice of Intent; Oil wells; Regulations; Salt river; Stream; Stripper oil wells; Study; Tax breaks; Water flea; Wells; West Liberty (Ky.)

Subjects: Business; Coal; Cost effectiveness; Groundwater; Injunctions; Money; Organisms; Subsidies; Water; Water pollution; Water quality

Partial Transcript: The, the Kentucky Government Accountability Project--

Segment Synopsis: Fitzgerald briefly talks of a state government accountability project that the council has started. Additionally, the interviewee shares his vision for sustainable development in Kentucky. The future of Eastern Kentucky following the departure of the mining industry is also considered.

Keywords: Advocacy; Alternative energy; Attitude; Damage; Dumping; Environmental budget; Farmland; Federal laws; Funding; Future; Industry; Kentucky Natural Resources Council; Migration; Mindset; Polls; Productivity; Small industry; Streams; Topsoil removal; Underground mining

Subjects: Accounting; Air quality; Bookkeeping; Budget; Children; Fishing; Greenhouse effect, Atmospheric; Minimums; Mountaintop removal mining; Natural resources; Quality of life; Strip mining; Unemployment

Partial Transcript: If a young person was coming up full of zeal, wanting to protect the natural resources of Kentucky, what advice would you give them?

Segment Synopsis: Fitzgerald provides the advice he would give to a young person in Kentucky who wanted to become a conservationist. Fitzgerald also explains why he decided to advocate for environmental issues.

Keywords: "Human cost"; "Social cost"; Accountability; Attorneys; Community; Congressmen; Family; Gulf Coast; Hazardous waste; Instruction; Kentucky; Louisville (Ky.); Offenses; Organizers; Recycling; Routine; Senators; Suffolk County (N.Y.); Wilderness; Wildwood State Park

Subjects: Air quality; Childhood; Children; Environmental law; Environmentalism; Influences; Leaders; Life; Natural resources; Ocean; People; Quality of life; Son; Strip mining; Tools; Values