At its regular meeting last Wednesday, the State Air Pollution Control Board added a portion of Giles County to its list of areas that do not meet national air quality standards.
The area is limited, according to a press release, to the Lhoist North America Kimballton Facility, where sulfur dioxide is emitted during production of lime. In 2017, Lhoist began monitoring the levels of sulfur dioxide at the facility. The concentrations of sulfur dioxide exceed limits established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Ambient Air Quality Standard.
“We have been working with Lhoist to bring them into compliance with air quality standards, and expect to have a final plan and permit for the facility in 2023,” Air and Renewable Energy Director Mike Dowd said in the press release.
Dowd briefed the board during its meeting on the end of the ozone forecasting season. He shared that ozone pollution levels have continued to improve since historic highs in the 1990s.
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Rebecca Barnabi
