WASHINGTON — Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., is making a new push for an old idea — the construction of a more than $500 million federal prison on the site of a former coal mine in his district.
What You Need To Know
- Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., is including language in an appropriations bill that, if approved, would accelerate the approval process for a new prison in Letcher County.
- Community groups are speaking out against the proposed prison saying there are better ways to develop the local economy
- Environmentalists have concerns about the location of the proposed facility
- Rogers secured funding for the prison in the 2016 and 2017 appropriations bills, but earlier attempts to build the facility have not succeeded
The most recent push for a federal prison in Letcher County began in Sept. 2022, just a few months after devastating floods swept through the area.
“I am pleased that the BOP (Bureau of Prisons) is revisiting construction options for a modernized and efficient facility in Letcher County,” Rogers said in a November statement. “I have worked to secure and protect funding for this project since 2006, and with more than 300 jobs on the line, it’s a battle worth fighting in a region where jobs are desperately needed.”
The proposed prison faces renewed opposition from several community groups who said there are more urgent and important needs in the community.
“We continue to ask him to please reconsider this,” said Artie Bates with Concerned Letcher Countians. “It seems to be putting all the eggs in one basket rather than diversifying what we need to have real, sustainable growth in the area.”
Environmentalists are also speaking out against the prison with concerns about the proposed location.
“We’re concerned about the toxicity of the site in general, post mining, and we certainly don’t want to build a prison that further contributes to the toxicity of the landscape,” said Julia Finch with the Sierra Club Kentucky Chapter. “The landscape has already been depleted. It’s an area that is prone to flooding, and especially now, as we have more extreme weather events due to climate change.”
Despite the push back, Rogers is including language in an appropriations bill that would accelerate the approval process for the prison.
“The language that’s proposed in Section 219 says that there’s to be no judicial review,” Finch explained. “It seems to be fast-tracking any public comment period.”
Rogers remains confident there is a need for the facility.
“The federal government needs more prison space. This property qualifies to the nth degree, and it’s proceeding,” Rogers told Spectrum News during a July interview. “We’ll continue to support it.”
Rogers secured funding for the prison in the 2016 and 2017 appropriations bills, but earlier attempts to build the facility have not succeeded.