Open burning restrictions will be in place for several counties in Kentucky for the next five months as part of Kentucky Ozone Season.
Ozone Season runs from May 1 through September 30, part of efforts by the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet to protect families and preserve air quality.
According to the EEC, burning of brush, tree limbs, leaves, or natural growth is restricted in counties that have exceeded the federal air quality standards before and are more likely to have pollution problems in warmer months. Included in the restricted counties is Bullitt County, while Jefferson County has open burning restrictions in effect year-round.
The EEC says ozone is protective in the stratosphere, but on the ground-level ozone is a summertime health risk created when pollutants react in the atmosphere in the presence of heat and sunlight. Open burning contributes to ozone pollution, which can irritate breathing passages and can trigger asthma attacks for the more than 380,000 Kentuckians affected by the condition.
The EEC says burning trash is illegal everywhere in Kentucky year-round, and state law prohibits burning plastics, tires, coated wire, and treated wood. Check your local outdoor burning rules and for possible burn bans in effect. Visit the Energy and Environment Cabinet’s website for more information and guidelines.
