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Air Quality Improving in Major Kentucky Counties, Officials Say

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Federal and state officials say air quality is improving in several major areas across Kentucky.

The Environmental Protection Agency late last week revised air quality designations for pollution in five Kentucky counties.

Those improvements are found in Campbell, Kenton, Boone, Jefferson, and Bullitt counties. Kentucky Division of Air Quality Director Sean Alteri said the trend toward cleaner air will likely continue.

"Currently, a number of coal fire utilities are installing and gonna operate additional control equipment and then a number of facilities are gonna shut down in the next couple of years," he said.

Alteri said emissions from coal fire power plants have been cut in half since 2005. Plus, fuel economy standards for vehicles are also helping to improve air quality.

The latest air quality designations were released on the same day that a fire engulfed General Electric's Appliance Park manufacturing complex in Louisville and cast a pall over the area.

Alteri said he doesn't believe the fire will have a lasting impact on air quality.

"Those are short term events and unfortunate events as well, and the emission are only gonna occur as the fire continues," he added.