Ozone Season runs now through end of September in Bullitt County

It’s the first day of May, which means it is the first day of Ozone Season in Bullitt County.

During Ozone Season, the outdoor burning of brush, tree limbs, leaves, and natural growth from land clearing is restricted in counties that have at one time or another exceeded air quality standards for ozone or particulate matter pollution. Burning is prohibited from May 1 through September 30 in order to help protect families and improve air quality.

According to the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, ozone is protective when it occurs high in the stratosphere, but ground-level ozone is a summertime health risk that irritates breathing passages and can trigger asthma attacks. Ground-level ozone is created when pollutants chemically react in the atmosphere in the presence of heat and sunlight.

The Energy and Environment Cabinet says Ozone Season restrictions are not the same as burn bans, which counties declare during times of extreme wildfire hazard. The burning of trash at any time of year is illegal in all counties, and state law prohibits the outdoor burning of many materials such as plastics and tires. Visit the Energy and Environment Cabinet on the web for more information on burning restrictions.