On a family trip to Harlan County, Ky., the beauty of dogwoods blooming on a mountaintop caught the attention of Scott Porter, a seventh-grader at the time.
The removal of that mountaintop for coal mining two years later is one of the experiences that set him on a life-long endeavor to protect the environment.
“It struck me that something so beautiful can be done away with,” Porter said in a recent interview.
Decades later, Porter is the new associate director of the Catholic Conference of Kentucky — which represents the commonwealth’s four bishops in matters of public policy.
He joined the conference in May, following a close to four-decade-long career in law, which included roles in the Kentucky Attorney General’s office and service as general counsel for the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
Porter earned a degree in biology from the University of Cincinnati in 1981 and a law degree from Northern Kentucky University in 1988. He found a way for those to complement one another in his professional life, and now, his faith is taking a role, too.
“One of the things I hope to bring (to this role) is a critical view of how the environment and ecology has been neglected by legislators and policymakers and how it affects the sanctity and dignity of human life,” he said.
As Catholics, “we believe in the sanctity of human life from cradle to grave. One of the things we’ve not paid attention to is, regardless of whether we’re white, Black, yellow, rich or poor, we all share this big blue planet,” he said. “As stewards, we have the obligation to take care of the environment. If you don’t have water, you don’t have fish. If you don’t have fish, you don’t have food.”
His previous jobs took him on travels throughout Kentucky, and what he’s seen will be helpful to his work at the conference, he said.
“It’s striking how there are communities struggling,” he noted.
In Martin County, Ky., for example, families are struggling to access clean water, he said. Individuals in West Louisville are living in the shadows of industrial plants and those in Eastern Kentucky live with the effects of abandoned coal mines and the consequences of the removal of mountains and filled-in valleys.
In his role as associate director of the conference, Porter said he intends to keep watch on things at risk of harming human life in Kentucky, such as:
- Substances known as PFAS chemicals (per- and polyfluoroalkyl) that can be present in the water supply. Last year, legislators sponsored House Bill 197 — which sought to regulate the amount of PFAS chemicals in Kentucky’s water supply. That bill wasn’t successful but Porter said he hopes to see another such bill become law in the future.
- Kentucky’s deer herd, which is in danger from chronic wasting disease. There hasn’t been a link to humans yet, but this needs to be monitored, said Porter.
He’ll also be looking to support initiatives that minimize the impact of climate change, he said.
Porter said Jesus’ commandment to “love thy neighbor as thyself,” is at the forefront as he settles into his role.
“What I strongly believe is we can be their voice. Not everyone in Eastern Kentucky or West Louisville can come to Frankfort, but we can be their voice. We can be their advocate,” Porter said.
This role is a chance to “marry our faith with the goals of protecting all people, regardless of color or creed. They are all our neighbors. We have a fiduciary and a moral responsibility to treat our neighbors the way we treat ourselves.”To learn more about the work of the Catholic Conference of Kentucky, visit ccky.org.
