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As EPA readies to limit ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water, Kansas has done little testing
Most of the sample results were normal. But one stood out. Drinking water in rural Barber County contained levels of perfluorooctanoic acid — or PFOA — at more than 30 times a limit under consideration by the Environmental Protection Agency. It was the only substance the lab detected when Barber County Rural Water District #2 had its […]
Sierra Club calls on EPA to strengthen rules on coal plants, affecting two Kansas facilities
Two Kansas utilities could be required to upgrade coal-fired power plants to limit emissions of lead and other hazardous metals under a policy regulators are considering, according to environmental activists. The Sierra Club on Thursday released a report urging the Environmental Protection Agency to use its existing pollution rules to cut down on harmful exposures […]
With only weeks until winter wheat harvest, drought still plagues Kansas
Month after month without enough rain has made Kansas the epicenter of a stubborn drought covering parts of the Great Plains. While the drought that plagued almost the entire western half of the U.S. last year has relented, it has only gotten worse in Kansas. The state is experiencing the most severe drought in the […]
Keystone pipeline owners knew of defect years before Kansas spill
Owners of the Keystone pipeline knew a defect had formed years before the strain finally caused the pipeline to burst and flood a Kansas creek with oil last year. The Keystone pipeline, owned by TC Energy, burst near the Kansas-Nebraska border late last year, spilling almost 13,000 barrels of oil onto adjacent farmland and into […]
Advocates highlight issues of child care, family leave for women in Kansas and beyond
The “women’s bill of rights” passed by Kansas legislators bans transgender women from sharing bathrooms, prison facilities, domestic violence centers and other gender-specific spaces with cis women. The law looks nothing like what Wendy Doyle would like to see in a bill of rights for Kansas women. Doyle, president and CEO of United WE, a […]
Kansas, Missouri officials tout nonprofit to oversee 2026 World Cup preparations
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A nonprofit governed by civic leaders and politicians from Kansas and Missouri will oversee preparations for Kansas City to host part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, officials announced Thursday. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas joined civic leaders at Arrowhead Stadium to […]
Kansas governor signs K-12 education bill, strikes portion slicing state aid to rural schools
TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly struck down a K-12 budget bill provision that would have decreased funding to more than one-third of Kansas public schools, calling the provision potentially “devastating” for rural communities. “This provision pulls the rug out from underneath rural school districts at the 11th hour. If this provision were enacted, it would […]
Kansas legislation got ‘watered down’ but will help aquifer conservation efforts
Kansas state representatives this spring voted for “historic” legislation spending more than $50 million a year on preserving groundwater and restoring the state’s reservoirs. By the time the Senate finished with the bill, it was “watered down” but “a good start.” Rep. Lindsay Vaughn, D-Overland Park, said when lawmakers and farm and environmental groups come […]
EPA estimates more than 54,000 lead pipes remain in Kansas
More than 54,000 lead service pipes carry drinking water to Kansas families, according to a new estimate from the Environmental Protection Agency. New lead water pipes have been banned for more than 30 years. But the EPA estimates that 9.2 million American households still get their water through aging lead pipes. About 0.6% of those […]
Fires, trash and stench: Kansas landfill sparks dispute between rural neighbors and owner
EASTON — Residents had complained to their local officials for months before Kansas environmental regulators investigated a trash mountain forming in a Leavenworth County landfill that is only permitted to take construction debris. By the time staffers inspected the facility, the situation was so severe a fire ripped through the landfill a few days later, […]
Missouri, Kansas utilities back bills to reestablish monopoly on transmission projects
Missouri’s largest electric utility believes a bill aimed at reducing competition and giving monopoly providers an advantage in building transmission lines will avoid cost overruns and deliver better results for customers. In its home state, where it stands to benefit, Ameren Missouri has offered its full-throated support to legislation aimed at giving the company the […]
Keystone executive gives Kansas legislators vague answers on oil spill cleanup
TOPEKA — Owners of the Keystone pipeline still don’t know why it ruptured in northern Kansas, spilling almost 13,000 barrels of oil into Mill Creek and onto surrounding farmland, an executive of the company said Tuesday. Gary Salsman, vice president of field operations for TC Energy, which owns the Keystone pipeline, testified before a joint […]