The Air Pollution Control Districthas confirmed that Louisville’s air quality was poor on Friday, as predicted.The District has issued seven Air Quality Alert days this year—but those are just days the agency expects the air quality will be poor. So far, only one of those has panned out—plus an additional day of bad air where there was no Air Quality Alert. During both days, the APCD’s air monitors recorded levels of ozone that exceeded healthy levels.On Friday, the highest levels of ozone were recorded in New Albany, at 87 parts per billion. This translates to a 129 on the Air Quality Index: a scale where anything between 101 and 150 is unhealthy for sensitive groups. Three other monitors in the area—at Buckner in Oldham County, Cannons Lane in Louisville and Charlestown, Indiana—also recorded high levels. None of the levels exceeded 150 on the index, which is the point where the air is deemed unhealthy for everyone—not just sensitive groups. So, that's two unhealthy air days already this year, and it's only June. As temperatures creep higher this week, it's likely the APCD will issue another alert.
