From The Journal Record:

Much has been discussed and written recently regarding the rising specter of wind power in general and how its emergence as a truly sustainable energy source will impact Oklahoma specifically. While this growing expansion of understanding of the wind industry has produced proponents and some detractors, it has raised some interesting and unresolved questions. Can the rights to utilize and profit from wind be severed from the land itself? The answer is “yes,” technically speaking. What ramifications might this have on the broader land and mineral rights relationships that have developed in the state over the last century?

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From The Journal Record:

The Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989. The toxic waste incident at Love Canal in 1978. The Kingston Fossil Plant fly ash slurry spill in Roane, Tenn., in 2008. What? There was a massive environmental disaster in 2008? Yes, and if you’ve never heard of the Kingston spill, chances are you’re not alone.

At the tail end of last year, one of the worst environmental disasters in the U.S. occurred with relatively little exposure or media coverage. This spill was seemingly swept under the rug in the midst of the holidays and an unraveling economic crisis.

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Related: Bokoshe, OK and the true cost of electricity

The Environmental Protection Agency is holding hearings next week over whether to regulate coal ash as a hazardous waste. To see why this is so important, check out this Voices of Oklahoma article from April 2009 about how coal ash is affecting the small Oklahoma town of Bokoshe. The hearing will be on Wednesday, September 8, 2010, 10:00am-9:30pm at the Hyatt Regency in Dallas. Voices of Oklahoma will be there to report what happens.