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EPA Focuses Local Air Agencies Efforts on Controllable Air Pollution

Release Date: 03/15/2007
Contact Information: John Millett, (202) 564-4355 / millett.john@epa.gov

(3/15/07) EPA is establishing procedures that will help local air agencies identify and evaluate air quality data that may have been affected by an exceptional event such as an unplanned fire or destructive storm. Identifying exceptional events will protect the public health by allowing local air agencies to focus their efforts on air pollution emissions that can be controlled.

This final rule ensures that air quality measurements are properly evaluated and characterized with regard to their causes; identifies reasonable actions that should be taken to address the air quality and public health impacts caused by these types of events; avoids imposing unreasonable planning requirements on state, local, and tribal air quality agencies related to violations of the NAAQS due to exceptional events, and ensures that the use of air quality data, whether afforded special treatment or not, is subject to full public disclosure and review.

For more information: epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/t1/fact_sheets/exeventfinal.html