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AIR QUALITY GUIDANCE ISSUED TO STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

Release Date: 01/11/2001
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FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, JAN. 11, 2001

AIR QUALITY GUIDANCE ISSUED TO
STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS


In response to increasing interest from state and local planners and government officials, new guidance, called “Improving Air Quality Through Land Use Activities,” is now available to help states develop strategies to improve air quality while their communities grow. This type of growth, often referred to as “smart growth,” helps foster community development that is both profitable while also being clean, healthy and livable. The guidance describes options for areas experiencing air quality problems to account for the benefits of their local land use choices. States can account for reductions in vehicle miles traveled and pollution from motor vehicles due to certain land use activities in their State Implementation Plan that show how states will reduce air pollution. Examples include infill projects, urban or “brownfield” redevelopment and mixed-use development. The guidance also demonstrates that EPA recognizes innovation and creativity by allowing states to account for land use activities as voluntary measures. EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Office and the Ozone Transport Commission are sponsoring an Air Quality Land Use Management Conference January 17 in Philadelphia. This conference is for state agencies in pursuit of land use initiatives that address specific environmental concerns. The guidance is available at EPA’s website: www.epa.gov/otaq/traq.

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