On many quiet days in Kentucky, the smell of polluted air wafts high into the sky, coming from distant sources. Driving to my cabin in Greene County, I can see the haze from Bonnyville to Bowling Green and beyond. This pollution comes from far-flung power plants and can travel hundreds of miles, impacting some of the Bluegrass State’s most treasured places.
Poor air quality is a persistent problem for communities and green spaces across Kentucky. The same pollutants that cause hazy air also impact the health of Kentuckians, exacerbating asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory illnesses for thousands of residents, especially those who live near coal-fired power plants. As a former Lexington resident, I was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in my early 50s. Now, when I spend time at my cabin in Greene County, I need my inhaler. But when I travel to other areas where the air quality is better, I don’t need my inhaler. While my symptoms are milder than many others, no Kentuckian can live like this, especially when there are things we can do to improve the situation right now.
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The Clean Air Act’s regional haze regulations give Kentucky a once-in-a-decade opportunity to improve air quality across the state, but the Kentucky Department of Air Quality is more than three years late in proposing a plan detailing how it will reduce haze pollution in certain nature preserves and national parks, like Mammoth Cave.
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National parks are held to the highest standards of protection, and ours is no exception. Last year alone, Mammoth Cave National Park welcomed over 500,000 visitors. They come to this unique place to bike, walk, enjoy the clear views, and breathe in the crisp, fresh air. But too often, the clear skies that park visitors expect are obscured by a yellowish haze. According to a National Parks Conservation Association analysis of sources that could impact the park, Mammoth Cave is the most hazy park in the United States, based on emissions that flow within the park’s boundaries.
Kentucky Air Quality’s proposed plan falls short
Unfortunately, the KPA recently proposed a weak anti-haze plan that does little to hold polluters accountable, including coal-fired power plants, aluminum smelters, paper mills and gas pipelines. The National Park Service has identified more than a dozen polluting facilities for the state to address in its plan, and the NPCA has identified 18. Despite science and data pointing to the need for stronger measures, the KPA decided to consider only two polluting facilities and not require additional pollution controls to significantly reduce emissions. In its current plan, the KPA effectively ignores the more than 100,000 tons of pollutants that are emitted into Kentucky’s air each year.
We must push the DAQ to develop a plan that protects our parks and people, not the polluters. In 10 years, when I sit outside my cabin, I want to know I can take a deep breath without needing an inhaler. I want to view beautiful nature without squinting through fog. I want to enjoy my time at Mammoth Cave without worrying or fear. We all deserve this.
Hilary Lambert, former executive director of the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network, lived and worked in Lexington, and now she owns a cabin in Greene County.
