BACK TO KICK 66 MAIN PAGE (click here)

KICK 66 PRESS & PRESS RELEASES - NO BUILD IS THE BEST ALTERNATIVE!

NEWS: For immediate release PROPOSED ROUTE OF I-66 CALLED “CORRIDOR OF DEATH” Sinkhole and Caves Threaten Motorist Safety The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KTC) has selected a southern alignment for the proposed I-66 Interstate highway that will expose motorists to risks of road collapse, possible injury or death, elevated construction costs, flood damage, and contractor paybacks, Sue Koplowitz of KICK 66 claimed. A secret Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the London to Somerset link of the highway will be “deficient on delivery”, said Mark Turner, a degreed environmental scientist in hydrogeology. Turner is an expert in exploring and mapping caves in the area. “It will dodge, downplay, and deny the risks inherent in this route across fragile sinkholes and major caves.” The southern alignment – that officials claim is only one of several options including “no-build” -- is the only real route under consideration. An unnamed source has leaked the information of the secret choice, despite the fact that the route passes over known and unknown caves, unstable sinkholes, and lowlands subject to karst flooding. HIGHWAY COLLAPSE IS TOO EXPENSIVE “I call it the Corridor of Death because the secretly selected alignment is so dangerous,” said Roger Brucker, an author of five books on caves, who has investigated the problem of karst collapses. Sinkhole collapse is an expensive construction problem in parts of the country underlain by caves. Kentucky is one of the most dangerous states because karst occupies about 60% of the Commonwealth. When Dishman Lane collapsed in Bowling Green, KY in 2002, a 200-foot diameter crater dropped the roadway about 30 feet. Fortunately, nobody was injured, but sinkhole collapses in Maryland and elsewhere have killed motorists and swallowed cars. Repairs to the Dishman Lane collapse cost taxpayers $1 million. Bowling Green road officials in continue to monitor a subsequent dip in the repaired area. PORK BARREL WASTE AND ABUSE BRUSHED ASIDE The KTC and U.S. Department of Transportation are in the business of building roads regardless of public safety, environmental risks, and economic damage. Their consultants have produced an EIS that is not available to the public. The project is so risky that it has been designated as a Priority Project. Priority Projects allow otherwise illegal environmental and procedural streamlining to classify it as vital to national defense and place it beyond public scrutiny. “The Priority Project designation asserts that the road has strategic importance to the Federal government, and this segment is so loaded with pork that sponsors have termed it in the ‘the national interest’ to rush it past federal budget deficit concerns,” said Mark Turner, a member of KICK-66. KICK-66 who oppose the project point out that two east-west Interstate highways are located within 100 miles of the proposed I-66. The area is served by north-south I-75 that passes through London, KY. Opponents say the NEPA and NPHA processes have been subverted by the unscrupulous ambitions of the agencies involved. The completed EIS document will hide true environmental impacts, will ignore consideration of the “no-build” option, omit the realistic low traffic projections, and dismiss the risks of collapse, flooding, and contamination of karst streams and wells. Turner charged that state and federal agencies con the public by pretending to consider all the factors but they rig EIS studies regularly. “Much of the most damaging testimony against I-66 was ‘lost’ by highway officials.” Turner cites the omission of his facts and adverse comments as examples of deceptive action in support of I-66 by the KTC. The still-secret final EIS document will not mention these serious objections, but will conclude that all potential problems will be solved by ‘mitigation’. “Such man-made alterations provide a long-range collapse potential that cannot be monitored or mitigated by the KTC,” said Mark Turner. HAZMAT SPILLS WILL SPREAD UNDERGROUND Hazardous material spills in karst areas often contaminate groundwater, springs, and wells. Explosions have killed and injured people, and flows of polluted water can travel tens of miles underground. KTC and USDOT have no capabilities to predict, prevent, or mitigate these contamination consequences. “Playing environmental roulette with Lake Cumberland is a risk that Kentucky should avoid,” said Sue Koplowitz. ECONOMIC RISKS TRUMP PUBLIC GAINS Kick-66 members claim that road contractors make extra money when they build highways over unstable ground. Extraordinary measures must be taken to plug known sinkholes, but most sinkholes and caves lurk unseen. When collapse or subsidence occurs, the contractor is paid additional money to fix it. According to Larry Simpson, sinkholes are erosional features created by the dissolution and collapse of limestone bedrock. In the area of Pulaski County, where the I-66 southern alignment is planned, sinkholes channel water downward and laterally within the beds of rock, so they can’t be made safe by graded fills. Engineers cite “best engineering practice” as mitigation for sinkholes and caves in the path of construction. “The best mitigation is to avoid the hazardous karst lands altogether. So-called high-tech methods often fail to detect caves and collapse-prone areas, as when contractors ripped into a cave in Bowling Green this year. Blasting and grading create vibration and shock forces that destabilize sinkholes,” said Larry Simpson. ROCKCASTLE RIVER AND BUCK CREEK ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AT RISK All alignments of I-66 show a crossing of state and federally protected Rockcastle River, one of the few officially designated Wild and Scenic Rivers in Kentucky. “Highway boosters and road builders are making efforts to blackmail the legislature to rescind protection for the river,” said Larry Simpson. “This crossing threatens the scenic integrity of this unusually valuable river, but it also presents the same unstable karst hazards as the rest of the corridor.” Bridge foundations, like dams in karst areas, become unstable as flowing groundwater undermines the structure. Wolf Creek Dam impounding Lake Cumberland initially cost $50 million more than budgeted to construct because caves beneath the dam enlarged and leaked. Those efforts failed and promoted additional leakage. Repairs to more recent karst damage to Wolf Creek Dam are estimated at $300 million. I-66 also threatens Buck Creek, a waterway of exceptionally high water quality. It is home to multiple endangered and threatened species of animals. The creek is spring fed along its entire length and empties into Lake Cumberland. Many of the springs that flow into Buck Creek originate under the I-66 corridor. Contamination from the highway would travel unpurified into the lake and harm wildlife. The real problem is that all the proposed corridors, as the plan apparently stands, would pass over top of the most powerful underground stream in Pulaski County where it is most vulnerable to collapse and most hazardous to construction. This place is Price Valley, and the proposed alignments would pass within a thousand feet of a massive sinkhole collapse that occurred only six years ago. This stream drains an area of 33 square miles from all the way north where Route 461 crosses into Rockcastle County. Any corridor that does not pass south of this drainage could put the highway in grave jeopardy. With the increase of runoff due to development in the area the underground stream will become more overloaded and subject to floods and collapse. The proposed I-66 would only add to that problem, combined with increased siltation, blasting vibrations changed drainage, all of which are known in the geologic engineering literature to cause problems in karst. The highway will face many problems with karst all the way to the west of Somerset, but the Price Valley cross-over may be the most tragic since it has been previously known for 30 years and shown to the highway engineers. REAL PRIORITY IGNORED BY I-66 KICK-66 officers said that the billions of dollars earmarked and projected for the low-traffic I-66 might better be spent to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina, or rebuilding Kentucky’s secondary roads. “Every day we read of people dying on Kentucky deteriorating rural roads. I-66 will not make any of these ‘killer roads’ safer, “ said Sue Koplowitz. “Politicians claim I-66 will bring jobs, more jobs, and prosperity. How many jobs has the Somerset US Route 27 bypass brought to a declining downtown? London recently endorsed a similar bypass that will strand existing businesses and create additional economic harm. I call I-66 the ‘Corridor of Economic Death’ because tourists don’t come here for development. They come to enjoy the scenic beauty, to hunt, fish, and enjoy our forests and clean lake.” NOTE: Karst topography is a landform that is drained underground through sinkholes and caves. Since it is an erosional process, karst lands constantly change compared to other landscapes. They are collapse-prone. Karst topography floods frequently because the underground caves and conduits are restricted in size and water carrying capacity, and further restricted by siltation. Karst drainage promotes groundwater pollution because contaminants, such as petroleum, pass through caves without filtration, aeration, or exposure to sunlight. REAL PRIORITY IGNORED BY I-66 KICK-66 officers said that the billions of dollars earmarked and projected for the low-traffic I-66 might better be spent to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina, or rebuilding Kentucky’s secondary roads. “Every day we read of people dying on Kentucky deteriorating rural roads. I-66 will not make any of these ‘killer roads’ safer, “ said Sue Koplowitz. “Politicians claim I-66 will bring jobs, more jobs, and prosperity. How many jobs has the Somerset US Route 27 bypass brought to a declining downtown? London recently endorsed a similar bypass that will strand existing businesses and create additional economic harm. I call I-66 the ‘Corridor of Economic Death’ because tourists don’t come here for development. They come to enjoy the scenic beauty, to hunt, fish, and enjoy our forests and clean lake.” NOTE: Karst topography is a landform that is drained underground through sinkholes and caves. Since it is an erosional process, karst lands constantly change compared to other landscapes. They are collapse-prone. Karst topography floods frequently because the underground caves and conduits are restricted in size and water carrying capacity, and further restricted by siltation. Karst drainage promotes groundwater pollution because contaminants, such as petroleum, pass through caves without filtration, aeration, or exposure to sunlight.

"The Caves of Sinking Valley"     cj Press Release     CJ Productions LLC, located in Pulaski Co. Kentucky, announces the upcoming broadcast of the documentary:   “The Caves of Sinking Valley”   Scheduled for broadcast on Somerset’s cable TV channel 8 On: Weds, Thu, Fri  Sept 21, 22, 23, at 5:00pm  Sept 28, 29, 30, at 5:00pm   Airtime generously provided by Somerset’s cable company, Charter Communications.   The hour long video is a study of a 33 sq. mi. karst drainage basin, focusing on the ecological and cultural importance of a complex cave system, and potential dangers of building the proposed I-66 highway through the drainage basin.   The documentary represents the volunteer efforts of dozens, including scientists, engineers, cavers and the local community, and details the results of 30 years of scientific study of the Sinking Valley cave system.   The video was featured in the 2005 National Speleological Society(NSS) annual convention and received an honorable mention in the video competition.  Acclaimed NSS judges/critics wrote:    “This video is representative of what we as cave videographers should be doing: documenting cave and karst areas so they can be protected.”  “This video is an example of why we should encourage people to go pick up a camera…A Herculean effort…a comprehensive look at the Sinking Valley drainage.”  “It was a fascinating journey.”   “The Caves of Sinking Valley”   An “Outdoor Arts” documentary, presented by CJ Productions.   Directed by Christopher Johns Written & Narrated by Larry C. Simpson Original Music by Gary Woster

Click here to visit "THE CAVES OF SINKING VALLEY" WEBSITE

PRESS RELEASE - For Immediate Release – -- March 27, 2005 –  CITIZEN GROUPS CALL TRANSPORTATION CABINET’S ACTIVE PROMOTION OF PROPOSED I-66 HIGHWAY UNETHICAL, PREMATURE Governor Fletcher and Other Political Officials Also Called Out on the Rug for Thwarting Due Process  Contact: Sue Koplowitz, KICK66 (606)877-9912 http://www.kick66.org               Hilary Lambert, Karst Environmental Education & Protection (859)255-8216 http://www.stoptranspark.org/               Perrin de Jong, Kentucky Heartwood (859)253-2697 http://www.kyheartwood.org/ Citizen groups railed against the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s pro-Interstate 66 rally in Glasgow Wednesday as an unethical overstep of the agency’s mandate.  The cabinet also received criticism alongside key Kentucky politicians for building a false impression with the public that I-66 is a “done deal”. “We are amazed that the Transportation Cabinet would use taxpayer dollars to actively recruit members of the public to participate in a rally promoting a road project that hasn’t been approved,” said Sue Koplowitz of KICK66.  “The role of the Cabinet is to objectively assess the merits of proposed road projects based on thorough analysis and public comments and then build the ones that pass muster.  What you have here is the agency spending our money to organize support for a project that they are supposed to objectively examine the merits of.  This is an unethical use of our tax dollars and it’s a violation of the public trust.” But local groups are also upset that the Cabinet, the Governor, and other public officials are striving to build a false impression with the public that I-66 is a done deal.  Pointing to the unveiling of a sign that called the Louie B. Nunn Parkway as the “Future Route of Interstate 66” at the Cabinet’s event yesterday, Hilary Lambert of Karst Environmental Education & Protection pointed out that “no decision has been made on whether or not to build I-66.  By jumping the gun and declaring I-66 a done deal, our government officials are thumbing their noses at the system that has been set up by our nation’s laws to protect private property and the environment, and to separate the good projects from the bad.  Due process should be followed for this project.  I just don’t understand why these political leaders don’t believe in the American Way.”  “Here’s what it boils down to for me,” said Perrin de Jong of Kentucky Heartwood.  “If Hal Rogers and Ernie Fletcher believed in our laws that require the government to look at the environmental impacts of a project before granting approval, they wouldn’t be talking about a future route of I-66 before the environmental studies have been completed.  The significance of today’s event in Glasgow is that these politicians and the Transportation Cabinet are saying to us "We don’t care what science has to say about what the impacts of this road will be, because we’re hell-bent on building it no matter what kind of damage it might do to our water quality, our caves, our wildlife, our history and citizen’s private property."  ##END##

GINA KINSLOW/Glasgow Daily Times Gov. Ernie Fletcher was on hand Wednesday afternoon for the dedication of the route Interstate 66 will take through Barren County. I-66, a corridor spanning from the Chesapeake Bay region of Virginia to the Mississippi River Valley, will follow the path of the Louie B. Nunn Parkway. "I-66 will help us bring in more tourists," he told a group who had gathered for the dedication ceremony at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's maintenance garage on Cavalry Drive in Glasgow. "It will help us open parts of the state that haven't been as open. When I first took office, we had this vision: safe, reliable transportation that supports Kentucky's future, improved economic growth and an overall improved quality of life." And Fletcher, along with other state officials, believe I-66 accomplishes that goal. "The I-66 corridor supports the idea to bring new growth to all people of Kentucky," said Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Secretary Bill Nighbert. It will provide "opportunity for the young people of southern Kentucky by creating the potential for new jobs," he said. It will also improve safety for motorists in reducing travel time and link three major north-south corridors -- I-65, I-75, and I-81, Nighbert said. Signs proclaiming the route I-66 will take were unveiled during the ceremony, which was also attended by Sen. Richie Sanders (R-Franklin), Barren County Judge-Executive Davie Greer and Mayor Darrell Pickett. "I'm very, very proud to be standing before you as part of this new experience Glasgow and Barren County are going through," Greer said. "I-66 will be wonderful. We're going to see some major development." And Sanders agreed. He pointed out Glasgow has gained $40 million worth of private development with the construction of the first phase of the new outer loop. "I've never seen a road that was freshly coated with blacktop that something good didn't happen," he said. When development occurs, more jobs are created, said Pickett, and more jobs generates more revenue for the city. "Once this new interstate comes through our community, it will no doubt create jobs and create growth," he said. "As elected officials, we like to see that. As I told the governor a few moments ago, we like revenue. Anytime we can bring revenue to our state, it's a good thing." In addition to unveiling the I-66 signs, Fletcher made announcements concerning funding for additional area road projects. He announced that $50 million in county road bonds will be released to all 120 Kentucky counties, and $25 million in municipal road bonds will be released to 419 eligible cities across the state. The release of the bonds is the result of the Kentucky General Assembly's recent passage of the 2005-06 budget, which included $150 million in bonds for county and city roads and bridges, according to Michael Goins with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Fletcher called the bond program "unique" Wednesday. "We across this state have bridges that are in very poor repair. We have roads that need repair. Our fatality rate on our highways are some of the highest we've ever had and some of the highest in the nation," he said. "When you look at our fatality rate some of that stems from the fact that our highways need repair, and this $150 million, in addition to the other $350 million that we put in, will provide a great deal of resources." Barren County will receive $606,298.21 from the County Aid Program, and the city of Glasgow will receive $172,187.95 from the $25 million Municipal Aid Program. Adding the two figures together, plus what the city and county received in 2004, totals to around $1.2 million. "I think that's an outstanding and unprecedented number for Barren County. I'm sure you've got a lot of projects in demand that will allow you to use that to create economic opportunities," Fletcher said. In addition to funding made available through the County and Municipal Aid Programs, Fletcher announced an additional $1 million in funding to be used for improvements to the entrance of the Highland Glen Industrial Site on U.S. 68/80, and the section of the new outer loop that is currently under construction. "We want to work with the community in economic development to continue attracting jobs," he said. Other funding, close to $67 million, scheduled to come dwn the pike for Glasgow and Barren County road projects, such as the construction of the third phase of the outer loop that will connect U.S. 31-W to the Louie B. Nunn Parkway, improvements on Ky. 90 East, and reconstruction of Ky. 70. Fletcher also pointed out the area is scheduled to receive $2 million to upgrade the Glasgow State Nursing Facility, $2 million for water projects and $114 million in Phase Two Tobacco Funds.

For Immediate Release > >Glasgow, KY (March 18, 2005) - The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet would >like to extend an invitation to the public for an event in support of >Interstate 66. The event will be held on Wednesday, March 23 at the Barren >County Maintenance Barn located at 351 Cavalry Drive at 11:45 PM (CST). >Governor Ernie Fletcher as well as Secretary of Transportation, Maxwell >Bailey will be on hand along with other state and local dignitaries to >unveil the sign that will signify the Louie B. Nunn Parkway as the "Future >Route of Interstate 66".

I66 - WHAT A WASTE! This illegally segmented proposed coast-to-coast highway is a WASTE of Kentucky's FARMS - FORESTS - FUNDS - FAMILIES - FUTURE. During this time of financial desperation, it is shocking that the I-66 project has not been killed off by responsible legislators. The price of the proposed 33-mile I-66 segment between US 23 in KY and the proposed King Coal Highway in WVA has more than doubled, from $735 million in 1997 to $1.6 billion today. That's more than Bush is giving Bechtel to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure. At $42 million a mile, this has to be the most expensive highway ever built. KICK 66 estimates that the $1.6 billion is more than enough to GOLD PLATE the entire 33-mile stretch of highway. Or, $1.6 billion is enough to give each resident of Pike County $18,000. That might be a better way to improve the economy in the area! "Megaprojects" coming to a neighborhood near yours: Nationwide, if the highway industry and big transportation engineering firms get their way, this country is about to embark on a wave of highway "megaprojects"--highway projects exceeding $1 billion in cost. Until recently there's only been a handful, but there are now more than 50 planned across the country to the tune of $100 billion. How they gonna pay for all this new concrete? The national highway industry is proposing to raise gas taxes to support this unprecedented splurge on road building. Megaprojects require a Financial Plan before construction; this is a detailed plan that identifies where the money is going to come from, what the risks to the public are if cost overruns occur or the funding sources dry up, what other projects won't get done if the megaproject is pursued, etc. Ask the KY Transportation Cabinet: Where is the Financial Plan for the Pikeville to King Coal Highway project? Looks like a scam, waddles like a scam, and quacks like a scam: At the "decision to build" stage (end of the NEPA process), the cost estimate is very incomplete and the state truly has no idea where the money is going to come from. You can bet that $1.6 billion in one I-66 segment could easily become $2 billion, or more. A summer 2002 article in the Journal of the American Planning Association reviewed transportation projects for the past 90 years and concludes that initial cost estimates are deliberately understated to get projects going and to get momentum. This professional article actually says project proponents lie about costs and use "salami tactics" showing project risks and costs "one slice at a time" to make costs appear as low as possible for as long as possible. Last July, the Virginia State Auditor audited Va DOT's books and found its 6-yr highway plan a "wish list" since VDOT "promises to build roads without knowing whether it has the money to pay for them," that the state does not track maintenance costs for its highways and instead guesses how much maintenance $$ they'll spend each year, that there is no accountability for cost overruns, etc. The state, in response and with support of the Governor, cut $3 billion from its 6-yr. highway plan. Where is the Kentucky State Auditor?? And how are they gonna pay for the NEXT segment? The 43-mile stretch of proposed I-66 from Somerset to London is already estimated to cost an average of $22 million/mile. Statewide, the I-66 project which will stretch 420 miles from WVA to Pikeville across Kentucky to Paducah and westward to MO, is estimated to cost $5 billion or more. Studies have shown that pre-construction estimates are generally 20% below the actual cost of the project. Several I-66 segments across KY are in the planning stages. How are these going to be paid for? Who will benefit? Officials claim that I-66 will bring economic development and jobs to Appalachia and the rest of Kentucky, but with I-75, I-64 and I-40, another interstate is not needed in this region of the country. There is no proof that building this road will improve the economy. The Coldstream Research Park and other vacant industrial sites throughout the state disprove this theory. The London Sentinel-Echo reported recently that tourism has increased in the London-Somerset region in the past two years. That has been accomplished without a $5 billion dollar road. This Federal money could be much better spent elsewhere. This road will only benefit campaign contributors: road construction companies, consultants, and land speculators. I-66 is not needed and will NOT make travel safer. In fact, an increase of accidents will be seen if this highway is built without improving the inadequate secondary roads. If the coal trucks need improved access in this state LET THE COAL COMPANIES PAY FOR IT!! They have known for years that I-66 is not financially feasible! The 1997 Feasibility Study/Justification for I-66 and subsequent reports fail to justify the need or financial feasibility of I-66 in Kentucky. The inadequacy of the consultants to use up-to-date economic models, accurate statistics and commonly-held community values in determining whether or not I-66 is in the best interest of all Kentucky residents should trigger the suspension of all further planning work until the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet can demonstrate that this project is financially feasible and economically justifiable. Please visit www.kick66.org for more information. WHAT A WASTE!

Auto pollution increases health risks Sierra Club report compiles findings of 27 studies By Dan Klepal Enquirer staff writer Pollution from automobile tailpipes increases the risk of asthma, lung cancer, leukemia and other ailments, particularly in people who live near busy roads such as interstate highways. That's the conclusion of a Sierra Club report, "Highway Health Hazards" that was released Wednesday. The report compiles the findings of 27 scientific, peer-reviewed studies on the effects of automobile emissions, which include soot, small bits of unburned metals known as particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and benzene. Many of the studies in the report say that young and old people are particularly susceptible to heath impacts from automobile exhaust. Greater Cincinnati, which fails to meet tough new air quality standards for ozone and soot being established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has 409,000 children under age 14 and 222,000 adults 65 and older, according to the American Lung Association. Glen Brand, Midwest representative for the Sierra Club, said the report is particularly important for people in this region because of the heavy truck and automobile traffic around downtown Cincinnati. Brand said human health effects of tailpipe pollution should be more closely considered when developing transportation plans. "Widening highways exposes people to very serious impacts, and we need to study that so we're aware of the full impact of these expensive proposals," Brand said. "And we need better transportation solutions - public train service and clean-running buses - over self-defeating highway widening. "The sooner we provide more transportation choices, the safer our families will be." Mark Policinski, executive director of the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI), which has proposed a widening of Interstate 75 to allay congestion, said his organization did consider pollution before writing its transportation proposals that will guide the region through 2030. Policinski said his organization pushed for a billion-dollar light rail system that was defeated by voters in 2002. Now, light rail can't be part of OKI's long-range plan, he said, or the region risks losing federal highway dollars. "When we look at adding anything to our (transportation) plan, it must be in conformity with air quality standards or the plan doesn't work," Policinski said. "We propose widening I-75 because there's no other way to reduce congestion. We have to move traffic, instead of having it sit there and pollute." Key findings from the scientific studies include: • A Journal of American Medical Association study linking soot and fine particulate matter to lung cancer, cardiopulmonary disease and other causes of death. • A Journal of Air and Waste Management Association study found children living within 250 yards of streets or highways with 20,000 vehicles per day are six times more likely to develop all types of cancer and eight times more likely to get leukemia. • A UCLA study published in Environmental Health Perspectives journal found a 10 percent to 20 percent increase in the risk of premature birth and low birth weight for infants born to women living near high traffic areas in Los Angeles County. Dr. Tim Buckley, one of the authors of the report, criticized the Bush administration for its proposal that would cut support for public transportation by 30 percent, while keeping highway funding the same. Buckley, from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said the federal government should view public transportation options the same as funding for highway expansions. "The Bush administration is taking us in the wrong direction," Buckley said.