In this blog, 2L Lauren Keeler writes on the impact of the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed “Affordable Clean Energy” plan on Kentucky’s economy and the health of its citizens.
In this blog, 2L staffer Sophia Sears analyzes the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, recently introduced to the 119th Congress, which proposes regulations that strengthen the Horse Protection Act (HPA) by broadening the definition of soring, increasing penalties for violations, and replacing the current self-regulatory structure with USDA-administered oversight. Sears argues that such reforms are necessary to address potential conflicts of interest in the current structure and better prevent equine abuse. Ultimately, Sears contends that federal regulations that deliberately combat abuse against horses are essential for preserving the equestrian industry's social license to operate-- such regulations ensure public acceptance of horse-participation in competitive sport.
Chronic Wasting Disease has spread to Kentucky's wild deer population despite decades of regulatory effort, and the state's current framework of surveillance zones, carcass transport restrictions, and captive cervid compliance requirements imposes significant burdens on hunters and farmers while producing diminishing returns against a prion that persists in the environment for years regardless of county lines. In this blog, 2L staffer Chase Turner argues that Kentucky should complement its existing regulatory tools with a structured pilot program allowing state agencies and licensed cervid farms to collaborate on selectively breeding deer carrying less susceptible PRNPgenetic variants, drawing on peer-reviewed research demonstrating that targeted selection can dramatically reduce the frequency of highly susceptible genotypes within a herd. Rather than abandoning containment strategies, Turner calls on Kentucky policymakers to follow the emerging science and make the herd itself part of the solution by shifting some of the focus from restricting what hunters and farmers can do toward building biological resilience into the deer population
In this blog, 2L staffer Kimberly Thomas examines how environmental law is a means to combat the construction of new immigration detention centers that risk local ecosystems and waterways. Kimberly argues that circuit courts must characterize the construction of immigration detention centers as a "major federal action" under NEPA for the safety of our environment.
In this blog, 2L Staffer Christina Grimes examines the growing crisis of textile waste in the United States’ landfills as a result of the fast fashion industry. She highlights the serious environmental consequences of this waste, particularly from synthetic fibers commonly used in fast fashion, which can cause significant harm to the surrounding air, soil, and water. Grimes argues that Kentucky should take steps to mitigate this waste by implementing an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program, similar to California’s program, which shifts the responsibility from municipalities to fashion producers for textile end-of-life accountability.
In this blog, 2L staffer Mira Talwalkar looks at the newly proposed Kentucky Senate Bill 178, which would prohibit any state environmental regulations from being more stringent than federal ones. Talwalkar argues that this bill ignores Congress’s intentions to give states freedom in determining how they implement local environmental regulations, and is especially concerning in Kentucky, where environmental toxins are present at a higher level than those nationally.
