By: Ag. Reporter Mollie Goode
As summer weather is fast approaching, the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet is restricting outdoor burning leading up to Ozone season.
May 1 marks the start of the Ozone season. The Ozone layer is created when pollutants chemically react in the atmosphere due to summer heat and sunlight. The ground-level ozone can affect the air’s breathability and, in some cases, can trigger asthma attacks.
Michael Kennedy, the director of the Kentucky Division for Air Quality, says areas that historically have air quality problems are required to take additional measures to ensure quality air during the summer months.
Outdoor burning is restricted until September 30 for Boone, Boyd, Bullitt, Campbell, Kenton and Oldham counties.
Open burning restrictions differ from burn bans, which may be declared by a county’s judge executive during times of extreme wildfire hazards.