Ozone 8-hour 4th-highest daily max
Ozone 8-hour 4th-highest daily max in Jefferson County reached 0.072 ppm in 2024, 3% above the EPA NAAQS of 0.07 ppm.
County · TRI 2024
Jefferson County, Kentucky Pollution
10 top TRI facilities tracked here. PM2.5 annual mean (NAAQS 9 µg/m³ (annual)) fell meaningfully year over year (-18%). PM2.5 annual mean (NAAQS 9 µg/m³ (annual)) concentrations have more than halved since 2010.
FIPS 21111 · population 779,232
Anomaly engine
Notable Signals
Total TRI releases
Total TRI releases at Jefferson County have more than halved since 2010 (through 2024).
Top facilities mapped
Where Chemicals Are Released In Jefferson County
Each red dot is one of the top TRI facilities. Size reflects 2024 total releases. County boundary outlined in blue.
Pollutant pathways
Jefferson County Pollutant Multi-Year Trends
PM2.5 annual mean (NAAQS 9 µg/m³ (annual))Health riskFine inhalable particles 2.5 micrometers or smaller. They travel deep into the lungs and into the bloodstream — linked to asthma, heart disease, stroke, and premature death.
PM2.5 annual mean (NAAQS 9 µg/m³ (annual)) concentrations have more than halved since 2010.
PM2.5 24-hour 98th percentile (NAAQS 35 µg/m³ (24-hour))Health riskFine inhalable particles 2.5 micrometers or smaller. They travel deep into the lungs and into the bloodstream — linked to asthma, heart disease, stroke, and premature death.
PM2.5 24-hour 98th percentile (NAAQS 35 µg/m³ (24-hour)) concentrations have more than halved since 2010.
Ozone 8-hour 4th-highest daily max (NAAQS 0.070 ppm (8-hour))Health riskGround-level ozone (smog) forms when vehicle and industrial emissions react in sunlight. Inflames the airways, triggers asthma attacks, and worsens heart and lung disease.
Ozone 8-hour 4th-highest daily max (NAAQS 0.070 ppm (8-hour)) concentrations have fallen 14% since 2010.
NO₂ annual mean (NAAQS 53 ppb (annual))Health riskA tailpipe and combustion gas. Concentrates near busy roads and industrial sites; raises risk of airway inflammation, asthma, and lower respiratory infections in children.
NO₂ annual mean (NAAQS 53 ppb (annual)) concentrations have fallen 44% since 2010.
Lifetime cancer risk all pollutants (100 in a million (EPA elevated threshold))Health riskEPA-modeled added cancer cases per million residents from a lifetime of breathing local air toxics. EPA flags 100-in-a-million as elevated.
Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.
Formaldehyde ambient mean (0.077 µg/m³ (1-in-a-million URE))Health riskAn air toxic emitted by refineries, wood products, and combustion. EPA classifies it as a known human carcinogen — long-term inhalation raises cancer risk.
Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.
Benzene ambient mean (0.13 µg/m³ (1-in-a-million URE))Health riskAn air toxic from gasoline, refineries, and tobacco smoke. A known human carcinogen — chronic exposure is linked to leukemia and other blood cancers.
Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.
TRI air releases (5.1 fugitive + 5.2 stack)Health riskToxic chemicals reported by industrial facilities as released into the air — fugitive leaks plus smokestack emissions. Higher pounds means more inhaled exposure for nearby residents.
TRI air releases (5.1 fugitive + 5.2 stack) concentrations have more than halved since 2010.
TRI water releases (5.3)Health riskToxic chemicals reported by industrial facilities as discharged to surface waters (rivers, lakes, the ocean). Affects fishing, recreation, and downstream drinking-water intakes.
TRI water releases (5.3) concentrations are roughly unchanged from 2010.
TRI land + off-site releasesHealth riskToxic chemicals released to land on-site or transferred off-site for disposal — landfills, deep-well injection, and similar. Risks groundwater contamination over time.
TRI land + off-site releases concentrations have fallen 19% since 2010.
Greenhouse gases (GHGRP large emitters, through 2023)Health riskGreenhouse gases reported by large industrial emitters under EPA's GHGRP, in metric tons of CO₂ equivalent. Drives climate warming and the heat-related health effects that follow.
Greenhouse gases (GHGRP large emitters, through 2023) concentrations have fallen 36% since 2010.
Top facilities · 2024
Where The Chemical Releases Are Concentrated
| Facility | City | Top chemical | Total releases | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville Gas & Electric CO. - Mill Creek StationPpl CORP | Louisville | Sulfuric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size)Health riskAcid mists are an IARC Group 1 carcinogen via inhalation (laryngeal cancer) and corrosive on contact. (IARC) | 1.2M lb | +8% |
| Ford Motor CO Kentucky Truck PlantFord Motor Co | Louisville | n-Butyl alcoholHealth riskEye and respiratory irritant; high exposure causes hearing loss and central-nervous-system effects. (NIOSH) | 452k lb | +31% |
| Clariant Corp 12Th Street FacilityClariant CORP | Louisville | Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution)Health riskDrinking-water nitrate causes methemoglobinemia ('blue-baby syndrome') in infants; EPA MCL is 10 mg/L as N. (EPA) | 435k lb | +9% |
| Allnex USA INC.Allnex USA INC | Louisville | Xylene (mixed isomers)Health riskEye, skin, and respiratory irritant; central-nervous-system effects from chronic exposure. (EPA) | 333k lb | +26% |
| American Synthetic Rubber COMichelin North America INC | Louisville | TolueneHealth riskCentral-nervous-system depressant. Chronic high exposure causes hearing loss and developmental effects. (EPA, ATSDR) | 295k lb | -8% |
| Chemours Louisville PlantThe Chemours Co | Louisville | Chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-22)Health riskAsphyxiant in confined spaces; ozone-depleting substance phased out under the Montreal Protocol. (EPA) | 291k lb | -9% |
| Bakelite SyntheticsBakelite US Holdco INC | Louisville | PhenolHealth riskCorrosive on contact; absorbed through skin; high exposure damages kidneys, liver, and the central nervous system. (NIOSH) | 278k lb | +12% |
| Clariant Corp Crittenden Drive FacilityClariant CORP | Louisville | AmmoniaHealth riskSevere respiratory and eye irritant; high concentrations cause chemical burns to lung tissue. (EPA) | 262k lb | +41% |
| Republic Conduit ManufacturingNucor CORP | Louisville | Zinc compoundsHealth riskGenerally low acute toxicity. Chronic high-dose exposure disrupts copper absorption and immune function. (ATSDR) | 148k lb | +17% |
| Ford Louisville AssemblyFord Motor Co | Louisville | 1,2,4-TrimethylbenzeneHealth riskEye, skin, and respiratory irritant; high exposure causes nervous-system effects. (ATSDR) | 90k lb | +45% |
Superfund / NPL sites
Federal Cleanup Sites In Jefferson County
Sites on EPA's Superfund National Priorities List, plus deleted sites whose cleanup objectives EPA has finalized. Federal-facility sites (defense, DOE, etc.) are flagged separately. Each link routes to a per-site page.
| Site | City | Status | Federal facility | Primary contaminant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distler Farm | Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) | NPL FINAL | No | 1,1,1-TrichloroethaneHealth riskMethyl chloroform. CNS depressant; ozone-depleting substance phased out under Montreal Protocol. EPA MCL 200 µg/L. (EPA, ATSDR) |
| Lee'S Lane Landfill | Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) | DELETED | No | ArsenicHealth riskIARC Group 1 carcinogen via inhalation and ingestion. EPA MCL 10 µg/L; chronic exposure causes skin, lung, bladder cancer and cardiovascular disease. (IARC, EPA, ATSDR) |
Equity context · ACS 2018-2022 · USEPA-clone EJ disparity
Who Lives In Jefferson County
All block groups in Jefferson County County, KY: 779,232 residents. County disparity score for pm2.5 (fine particulate) sits near the reference (103). Why we surface this →
14.1%
Low-income
34.9%
People of color
5.9%
Under age 5
16.7%
Over age 64
- PM2.5 (fine particulate)Health riskFine inhalable particles 2.5 micrometers or smaller. They travel deep into the lungs and into the bloodstream — linked to asthma, heart disease, stroke, and premature death.79above the national median
- OzoneHealth riskGround-level ozone (smog) inflames the airways. Even short exposures trigger asthma attacks and worsen chronic lung and heart disease.64above the national median
- Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂)Health riskA tailpipe and combustion gas. Concentrates near busy roads and industrial sites; raises risk of airway inflammation, asthma, and lower respiratory infections in children.79above the national median
- Diesel particulateHealth riskSoot from diesel engines (trucks, trains, ports, construction). EPA classifies it as a likely human carcinogen and a major driver of childhood asthma near freight corridors.64above the national median
- Toxic releases (RSEI)Health riskEPA's Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators score — weights TRI chemical releases by toxicity, where they go, and how many people are nearby. Higher means greater modeled cancer and chronic-health risk.87in the highest 20% nationally
- Traffic proximityHealth riskPopulation-weighted distance to high-volume roads. Living close to heavy traffic raises exposure to PM2.5, NO₂, and diesel exhaust — and the cardiovascular and asthma risks that follow.64above the national median
- Lead-paint risk (pre-1960 housing)Health riskShare of housing built before 1960, when lead-based paint was common. Dust from deteriorating paint is the leading cause of childhood lead poisoning, which permanently impairs cognitive development.68above the national median
- Superfund site proximityHealth riskPopulation-weighted distance to NPL Superfund sites — the most contaminated waste sites in the country. Nearby groundwater, soil, and air can carry industrial solvents, metals, and other long-lived contaminants.56near the national median
- RMP-facility proximityHealth riskDistance to facilities holding chemicals at quantities large enough to require an EPA Risk Management Plan (refineries, fertilizer plants, etc.). These pose acute exposure risk during accidental releases.76above the national median
- Hazardous-waste site proximityHealth riskDistance to RCRA hazardous-waste handlers (treatment, storage, disposal facilities). Indicates potential exposure to industrial chemicals in air, soil, and groundwater.75above the national median
- Underground storage tanksHealth riskDensity of underground tanks (gasoline, heating oil, industrial fluids). Leaking tanks are a leading source of benzene and other volatile organic compounds in groundwater drinking-water supplies.64above the national median
- NPDES wastewater proximityHealth riskDistance to permitted industrial wastewater dischargers. Closer proximity raises exposure to pollutants released into surface waters used for fishing, recreation, and downstream drinking-water intakes.69above the national median
- Drinking-water non-complianceHealth riskEPA score for public water systems with health-based Safe Drinking Water Act violations. Higher means more residents on systems that recently exceeded safe limits for contaminants like lead, arsenic, or nitrate.76above the national median
| Indicator | Disparity score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (fine particulate) | 103 | near the reference |
| Ozone | 90 | below the reference |
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) | 99 | near the reference |
| Diesel particulate | 81 | below the reference |
| Toxic releases (RSEI) | 108 | near the reference |
| Traffic proximity | 78 | below the reference |
| Lead-paint risk (pre-1960 housing) | 74 | below the reference |
| Superfund site proximity | 12 | well below the reference |
| RMP-facility proximity | 85 | below the reference |
| Hazardous-waste site proximity | 93 | near the reference |
| Underground storage tanks | 69 | below the reference |
| NPDES wastewater proximity | 78 | below the reference |
| Drinking-water non-compliance | 0 | well below the reference |
Source: Census ACS 2018-2022 (5-year) + USEPA-clone EJ blockgroup stats (raw indicators + EJ disparity mirror).
Browse
All 6 Jefferson County Cities With TRI Data
Pollution trends and TRI 2024 pages for every tracked city in this county. Alphabetical.
Sources.
- EPA Toxics Release Inventory · retrieved 2026-05-07.
All sources are federal public-domain datasets under 17 USC §105. We aggregate but do not relabel; the underlying observations remain attributable to EPA.