FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Kentucky Senate Natural Resources Committee voted to approve a joint resolution directing the Energy and Environmental Cabinet to adopt revisions to the state air quality implementation plan to remove a reformulated gasoline requirement for Jefferson County and applicable parts of Oldham and Bullitt counties.

Senator Neebs, speaking for the measure carried by Senator Adams, told the committee that the requirement — originally imposed at the request of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce emissions — has become less necessary because of cleaner gasoline and newer vehicle technologies. "This is something that's been going on for quite a while," Neebs said. "The EPA demanded that reformulated gas be used in Northern Kentucky and in the Louisville area and surrounding counties."

The resolution asks the Energy and Environmental Cabinet to revise Kentucky's state implementation plan for air quality so the reformulated gasoline requirement would be removed for Jefferson County and the named portions of Oldham and Bullitt counties. The committee moved and seconded the resolution, and the clerk called the roll. Senators recorded on the transcript as saying "aye" included Senator Boswell, Senator Elkins, Senator Girdler, Senator Maiden, Senator Mills, Senator West, Senator Wheeler, Senator Williams and Chair Smith; the motion carried. Chair Smith declared, "The motion passes, with the expression of the same shall pass."

Committee members referenced prior requests by governors to the EPA to remove the requirement. The transcript records that both Governor Beshear and Governor Bevin had asked the EPA to withdraw the reformulated-gasoline requirement for Jefferson County; the resolution directs state action to implement that policy change locally.

The committee did not record any formal amendments to the resolution or further instructions to staff. The action before the committee was the passage of the joint resolution; the committee's vote advances the item to the full Senate process where further consideration may occur.