Environment
Kansas condo board says it’s being forced to pay twice for gas used during 2021 winter storm
For an Overland Park condo association, the next natural gas bill after a historic cold snap more than two years ago was stunning. Pinebrooke Condominium Subdivision Association, in Overland Park, typically paid about $4,500 for its members’ monthly bills. But its February 2021 bill came to more than $280,000. It settled and paid 75% of […]
‘It’s an emergency.’ Midwest towns scramble as drought threatens drinking water.
SEDAN — James Rainbolt typically can tackle most problems at his rural water plant with some extra time or money. But he can’t fix this. “I just can’t make it rain,” he said. Like others across southeast Kansas, Rainbolt remains helpless as he watches a persistent drought dry up the local water supply. He runs […]
Kansas Historical Society hosts author of new book detailing deadly Udall tornado
Author Jim Minick said he wanted to honor survivors’ true stories of the deadliest tornado in Kansas history by making his new book nonfiction. Minick, a Virginia-based writer and university professor, talked about his book, “Without Warning: The Udall Kansas Tornado,” and the inspiration behind it during a webinar hosted by the Kansas Historical Society […]
Senate committee confirms former Democratic legislator to utility regulatory board
Former Kansas state Rep. Annie Kuether was confirmed as the newest member of the Kansas Corporation Commission Wednesday with a near-unanimous vote. Kuether, who served in the Kansas House of Representatives from 1997 to 2022, will be seated immediately. She replaces outgoing commission Chair Susan Duffy. Gov. Laura Kelly announced she had appointed Kuether, a […]
Lawsuits take aim at BP for ‘unconscionable’ prices during 2021 cold snap in Kansas
BP Energy and other suppliers took advantage of a historic cold snap two years ago to sell natural gas at hundreds of times its normal price, two class action lawsuits filed in Kansas allege. The lawsuits, which name a combined eight companies in the natural gas supply chain, allege defendants violated the Kansas Consumer Protection […]
Kansans rally to pressure Evergy into keeping green energy promises
LAWRENCE — Closing the city’s coal-based power plant will be the first step toward holding the state’s largest utility company accountable for keeping green energy goals, climate change activists said at a Tuesday demonstration. The Sierra Club partnered with local organizations for the rally outside City Hall to show city officials how much local support […]
Report faults EPA for not enforcing limits on toxic benzene emissions at oil refineries
The federal Environmental Protection Agency must do a better job ensuring that oil refineries that exceed emissions limits for benzene, a toxic, carcinogenic pollutant, cut those concentrations, the agency’s inspector general found. “Thirteen of the 18 refineries we reviewed had benzene concentrations above the action level in 20 or more weeks after the initial exceedance,” […]
August heat wave set records in parts of Kansas
Intolerable heat and humidity that hovered over Kansas last month set daily maximum temperature records across the state and rivaled all-time highs. The heat that drove readings into the 110s and heat indices even higher served as a preview of what could become even more severe and frequent weather events as the effects of climate […]
Former Democratic member of Kansas House appointed to Kansas Corporation Commission
Gov. Laura Kelly nominates a former Democratic colleague in Kansas Legislature to one of three seats on the Kansas Corporation Commission.
Moran, Marshall seek reversal of electricity transmission ruling viewed as harmful to Kansas
U.S. Sens. Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran irritated by federal regulators' rejection of plan to help Kansans burdened by electricity transmission costs.
Long-awaited Evergy energy efficiency programs approved by Kansas regulators
Kansas regulators approved a robust set of energy efficiency programs for Evergy customers after concerns the deal might fall apart. The 2-1 vote by the Kansas Corporation Commission on Friday brings programs, such as rebates and discounts on efficient HVAC systems and free thermostats, to Evergy’s Kansas customers. Missouri regulators have allowed energy efficiency programs […]
New federal water pollution rule draws mixed reaction
A federal rule limiting agencies’ power to regulate water pollution will severely restrict protections for waters and wetlands throughout the country, but could also be subject to challenges from conservative groups that maintain the new rule exerts more federal jurisdiction than the U.S. Supreme Court intended in a May decision. With the rule published Tuesday to redefine […]