KRC Submits Testimony to Congress on Proposed Letcher County Prison

On June 13, KRC Executive Director Ashley Wilmes submitted formal testimony to the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, urging Congress to rescind over $500 million in funding for the proposed federal prison in Letcher County, Kentucky.

In her remarks, Ashley detailed the project’s unacceptable environmental and public health risks — including threats to endangered species, downstream communities, and one of Kentucky’s last remaining old-growth forests. She also highlighted the need for sustainable investments in eastern Kentucky, rather than building a prison on a flood-prone, former mountaintop removal site.

Read the full testimony to learn why KRC is standing against this project — and what’s at stake for the people, water, and wildlife of Letcher County.