Knoxville meets EPA air quality standards for first time in 20 years

“People around here are breathing much cleaner air,” said Lynne A. Liddington, director of Knox County Air Quality Management. The Knox County Health Department announced Wednesday that for the first time in nearly 20 years, Knox and the surrounding counties of Anderson, Loudon, Blount, and part of Roane have been designated as meeting attainment for the Environmental Protection Agency's National Ambient Air Quality Standards concerning particulate matter 2.5. "I'm proud of our Knox County staff and all the local leaders who have worked to improve air quality in East Tennessee and make attainment a reality," said Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett. "Clean air is not only good for the environment, but it's an important factor in encouraging new business and industries to come to our region." The five-county Knoxville region has been the only one in the state listed as non-attainment.