KRC and Sierra Club Comment in Support of Cleaner Air

One of the last actions by the Biden administration’s EPA was to propose disapproving Kentucky’s request to declare the Louisville area’s air as "in attainment" for ozone (smog) standards.

The Louisville area was designated nonattainment for the national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for ozone in 2018. By 2023, the air quality had improved just enough to meet the standard, prompting Louisville and the State to submit a request to redesignate the area to attainment. Unfortunately, the improvement was short-lived and air quality has now worsened. Air quality has dropped back to the same unhealthy levels seen in  2018, when the area was originally designated nonattainment.

Remaining designated nonattainment means Louisville and Kentucky would be required to implement additional, stricter measures (commonly called “reasonably available control measures” or RACM) sufficient to reduce pollution and bring air quality back to healthy levels.

Kentucky Resources Council and Sierra Club submitted comments on EPA’s proposal, urging EPA – based on air quality data and sound science – to finalize the denial of Kentucky’s request to redesignate areas within the state as in attainment for the 8-hour ozone NAAQS. Read our joint comments here.