Ozone Season Began May 1

Outdoor Burning Restricted in Some Counties

FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 2, 2022) – Ozone season began May 1 and for some Kentucky counties that means taking extra care to learn before you burn. From May 1 through September 30, open burning in Boone, Boyd, Bullitt, Campbell, Jefferson, Kenton, Lawrence, and Oldham counties is restricted to protect air quality.

Ground-level ozone is a summertime health risk, created when pollutants chemically react in the atmosphere in the presence of heat and sunlight.

“Pollution from open burning is more likely to cause problems during the warmer months of the year,” said Michael Kennedy, director of the Division for Air Quality. “For those counties that have historically had problems meeting air quality standards for ozone and particulate pollution, most open burning is restricted during this time to protect air quality and human health.”

From May through September, the open burning of household rubbish, brush, tree limbs, leaves and natural growth from land clearing are not permitted in Boone, Boyd, Bullitt, Campbell, Kenton, and Oldham counties. A portion of Lawrence County is subject to open burning restrictions during ozone season.  Open burning is restricted year-round in Jefferson County.

All of these counties have, at one time or another, been designated ‘non-attainment’ for ozone or particulate matter pollutants.

Many people may not realize that burning trash – at any time of the year – is illegal in all Kentucky counties. State law prohibits the burning of many materials including plastic, tires, cans, coated wire, carpeting and food waste. In addition, the burning of trailers, buildings, and construction and demolition debris such as shingles, drywall and insulation is prohibited. 

Painted, stained or treated wood products such as fence posts, pallets, and furniture are illegal to burn, because they release dangerous toxins into the air. Items that cannot be recycled should be taken to a state-permitted landfill.

To report illegal open burning or to learn more about open burning restrictions in your area, please call the Division for Air Quality at 502-782-6592 or email burnlaw@ky.gov , or visit the division’s website at http://bit.ly/OpenBurningKY .

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Ozone Gardens

Signs of ozone damage on a tulip poplar, courtesy of Robert Anderson, Bugwood, UGA

Late spring is the perfect time to start a garden filled with ozone-sensitive plants and natives that are beneficial to pollinators.

Your garden can tell you about the air you breathe because, like people, plants need clean air, too. Some plants can even tell you when they have been exposed to air pollution. With a few carefully selected plants, some water and sunshine, you can create your own ozone garden that will help you learn more about the air quality in your neighborhood.

Ozone Season is Here

Here’s a chemistry question for you: Mix nitrogen oxides (NO_x) with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), then add heat and sunlight.  What do you get? Ground-level ozone, a potent pollutant that can seriously impact air quality, human health, and even plants.

Warmer weather means a return to ozone season – the time of the year when ground-level ozone is most likely to form in the lower atmosphere.  Like the ozone that protects earth from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation, ground-level ozone is a molecule composed of three oxygen atoms (O₃).  But unlike the protective ozone layer, ground-level ozone occurs in the lower atmosphere, where humans live, work, and play.  A good way to remember the difference: Ozone is good up high, but bad nearby.