Congressman McGarvey Sends Letter to EPA Administrator Opposing Exemptions for Kentucky Chemical Plants in Neighborhoods Already Facing Elevated Air Pollution, Higher Risks of[...]

Congressman McGarvey Sends Letter to EPA Administrator Opposing Exemptions for Kentucky Chemical Plants in Neighborhoods Already Facing Elevated Air Pollution, Higher Risks of Cancer

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 10, 2026) - Today, Congressman Morgan McGarvey sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin to oppose the Trump administration's recent exemptions for chemical plants to comply with air standards that limit toxic emissions. The announcement included two Kentucky facilities: Zeon Chemicals, a synthetic rubber manufacturer in Louisville, and Westlake, a vinyl manufacturer in Calvert City.

"Removing these limits on chemical emissions will directly harm my constituents, including in Louisville neighborhoods that have already for decades lived with the impacts of industrial pollution and contamination," McGarvey wrote.

In the letter, the Congressman calls on EPA to reconsider the rollbacks and points to EPA's own National Air Toxics Assessment, which concluded that Rubbertown's proximity to industrial facilities that release carcinogens into the air and groundwater supply has resulted in an elevated exposure to pollution and higher risk of cancer and other health problems.

Last year, the administration granted a similar exemption to Bakelite Synthetics, a formaldehyde plant located 500 feet from homes in the Riverside Gardens neighborhood in Louisville, just 6 months after a chemical spill at the facility turned a creek in the Rubbertown neighborhood of Louisville red.

"EPA should not reward polluters with exemptions without any regard for the people who will live with the consequences," McGarvey concluded. "This administration's irresponsible deregulatory actions will inevitably harm Louisvillians. Every person has a right to breathable air and clean water. Residents in at-risk neighborhoods shouldn't need to worry about those rights being rolled back for the sake of industry."

The letter follows a series of letters by Rep. McGarvey's office, probing incidents of chemical pollution in Louisville linked with adverse health effects and an association with cancer.

Read the full letter here.

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Congressman Morgan McGarvey represents Kentucky's Third Congressional District, including Louisville and Jefferson County. He serves on the House Veterans Affairs, Small Business, and Budget Committees.