...or use their lawyers and political connections to make sure they don't have to do either of the above - unfortunately, it looks like this is the cheapest option.
This, most likely. And it isn't as if the whiskey industry is the only one benefiting from being able to ignore the pollution that they create. Though there is a move to change how this works, for the most part air pollution remains something for which we all pay the price, collectively, regardless of its origin.