The Letcher County Fiscal Court was awarded a $3.3 million grant from the Kentucky River Area Development District. This is through the Abandon Mine Lands Economic Revitalization Program (AMLER). The grant is going toward the building of a waste digester system in Letcher County.
Executive Director of Pine Mountain Partnership, said the digester is essentially a large composter. Organic waste is put into the system and broken down into dirt. The nonorganic material, like plastics, is separated. 鈥淭hen you have a compost like material that can be used for cover for landfills and some other industrial purposes,鈥� said Justice.
Organizers said they plan to build the system at the Letcher County Transfer Station in the Millstone community. The Fiscal Court was able to apply for the grant since the land is former mining land. The land is also owned by Letcher County. Justice said Letcher County does not have a landfill. This means the waste is shipped out. 鈥淚t鈥檚 become very expensive and cost prohibitive in a lot ways,鈥� said Justice. 鈥淭he rate payers have had to bear that burden.鈥�