KY national parks hurt by bad air quality, haze. We deserve clean air. Courier Journal
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OnmanydaysinKentuckywhentheairisstill,whiffsofdirtyair,driftingfromdistantpollutionsources,canbeseenhighinthesky.AsIdrivetomycabininGreenCounty,IcanseehazefromBonnievilletoBowlingGreenandbeyond.Theairpollutionbehindthisstemsfromdistantpowerplants,whichcandrifthundredsofmiles,affectingtheBluegrassState’smosttreasuredplaces.
PoorairqualityisapersistentproblemacrossKentuckyforourcommunitiesandgreenspaces.ThesamepollutantscausinghazyairalsoaffectKentuckians’health,worseningasthma,bronchitisandotherrespiratoryillnesses,especiallythethousandsofresidentswholivenearcoal-firedpowerplants.OncearesidentofLexington,IwasdiagnosedwithChronicObstructivePulmonaryDisease,inmyearly50s.Now,IneedaninhalerwhenspendingtimeatmycabininGreenCounty.ButwhenItraveltootherpartsofthecountrywithbetterairquality,IfindthatIdon’tneedmyinhaler.Thoughmycaseismildcomparedtomany,thisisnowayforKentuckianstolive,especiallywhensomethingca