Bill Summary
House Bill 60 creates the crime of “criminal atmospheric pollution” in Kentucky by defining “atmospheric contaminant” broadly to include aerosols, chemicals, metals, radiation, and other agents released into the air, while excluding standard aircraft exhaust from certified aviation fuel. It defines “atmospheric polluting intervention” as deliberate manipulation of the earth’s natural systems—such as stratospheric aerosol injection, cloud seeding, solar radiation modification, or intentional release of contaminants from airborne sources that may harm human health, the environment, or agriculture—and makes intentionally or wantonly engaging in these activities a Class D felony. A person convicted must pay a civil penalty of at least 500,000 dollars in addition to criminal penalties, with each day of violation counted as a separate offense; all peace officers are empowered to enforce the law, and if a federally approved activity is involved, the arresting officer must notify the relevant federal agency that the intervention cannot lawfully occur in Kentucky.
House Bill 60 creates the crime of “criminal atmospheric pollution” in Kentucky by defining “atmospheric contaminant” broadly to include aerosols, chemicals, metals, radiation, and other agents released into the air, while excluding standard aircraft exhaust from certified aviation fuel. It defines “atmospheric polluting intervention” as deliberate manipulation of the earth’s natural systems—such as stratospheric aerosol injection, cloud seeding, solar radiation modification, or intentional release of contaminants from airborne sources that may harm human health, the environment, or agriculture—and makes intentionally or wantonly engaging in these activities a Class D felony. A person convicted must pay a civil penalty of at least 500,000 dollars in addition to criminal penalties, with each day of violation counted as a separate offense; all peace officers are empowered to enforce the law, and if a federally approved activity is involved, the arresting officer must notify the relevant federal agency that the intervention cannot lawfully occur in Kentucky.
Why It Matters to the Make America Healthy Again Movement
The MAHA Movement supports this bill because it directly confronts large‑scale geoengineering and weather‑modification schemes that can expose communities to undisclosed atmospheric chemicals without informed consent. By criminalizing harmful atmospheric interventions and imposing strong financial penalties and enforcement tools, HB 60 aligns with MAHA’s focus on precaution, environmental transparency, and protecting people, agriculture, and ecosystems from untested climate and weather experiments.