Responding to news of this crisis within the geographic boundaries of the Diocese, Bishop Sauls queried clergy as to how the Episcopal Church in this part of the state might assist. The Advocate received first person articles urging Christians to consider implications of the spill for stewardship of the environment. Contradictory reports continue to alarm Kentuckians.
Environmentalists challenge the contents of the sludge as well as the cause of the spill.
The Kentucky Council of Churches has issued a strong statement calling for stronger legislation and enforcement of existing penalties. Safety precautions in the area, with its narrow winding roads had meant limiting access, he stated. The slurry spill in Martin County that polluted our rivers, creeks and land, and which caused irreparable harm to wildlife and plant life, stands as a degradation of our good creation, which we believe was given to us by God for our stewardship and care. We do not own the land or the streams, the plants or the animals. The Bible tells us that they all belong to the Lord.