Whiskey Friendly Fungus Damages Louisville Properties

By: Duane Craig

Residents in and around Louisville, Ky., have been dealing with a black material staining their siding, outdoor furniture, vehicles and anything else in the open air for as long as they can remember, according to this article.

But now, the culprit has been identified. It’s called Baudoinia, a naturally occurring fungus that is so hearty researchers haven’t found a single carbon source that it can’t use for nutritional needs. So far, there is no evidence the fungus is harmful to people and other living things, other than how it might reduce sunlight from reaching the photosynthesis layer in plant leaves. The biggest problem with it seems to be how it damages property, often destroying finishes on vehicles, buildings and other things outside.

Residents in Louisville were so tired of its effects that they sued local bourbon producers to recover damages caused by the fungus. Come to find out, the fungus multiplies in air that has concentrations of ethanol, and Louisville’s air has lots of that because it is the home to at least three major distillers. The distilling process releases ethanol at various stages. It only takes 1 ppm concentration of ethanol in air to support the growth of Baudoinia.

The lawyer handling many of the lawsuits says the distillers just need to stop off-gassing the ethanol. Distillers don’t really address that, instead saying they simply are not responsible for natural growth. More suits are going forward with one notable one in Scotland where the fungus is rampant.

A Dirty, Dangerous Job: Cleaning Up Meth Labs

September 14, 2010 - Kelly Mynatt steps in when the police step out.

The hazardous-materials crew that responds when police seize a methamphetamine lab removes the lab and its components only. Any further cleanup becomes the responsibility of the owner - who turns to a cleanup specialist such as Mynatt.

Mynatt spent six years removing methamphetamine labs for Eagle-SWS, which handles most local removals for law enforcement. Last year she started her own company, Eco-Ethics.

The job takes her to houses, apartments, motels and trailer parks around the state. Prices so far have ranged from $1,500 to $26,000.

"The main concern is always the safety of the next person," Mynatt said. "Unfortunately, some houses and cars just can't be saved."

Sometimes she finds a few surprises. A walk through a quarantined meth house last week on Oakdale Highway turned up discarded lab components and other leftover drug gear - including needles scattered among children's toys on the floor.

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Contaminated Water in Letcher County Kentucky

February 17, 2009 - Nearly 4,000 people in Letcher County are under a non-consumption water advisory tonight after Division of Water officials confirm petroleum contamination.

“When you turn your water on it smells like gas, and you can see the, you know, see it in the water,” said Tonya Holbrook of Whitesburg.

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Toxic legacy revisited: Valley of the Drums, 30 years later

December 14, 2008 - Thirty years after Valley of the Drums in Bullitt County became the nation's poster child for industrial negligence and helped push Congress to enact a toxic dump cleanup program, the EPA has raised new concerns about conditions at the Kentucky site.

Inspectors for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have found about four dozen rusted metal drums on land just outside the part of the dump that it capped and fenced in the 1980s, including a portion of Jefferson Memorial Forest.

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Water tainted by petroleum in Whitesburg, Kentucky

November 4, 2008 - Petroleum has temporarily tainted the water supply of an Eastern Kentucky town, throwing residents into "absolute pandemonium," according to the mayor.

Whitesburg officials notified state authorities after receiving several calls Saturday from people who said they smelled gasoline in their water, Whitesburg Mayor James Craft said.

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