Do you think about air quality?

"Today’s the day to start thinking about air quality.

What can you do? Pay attention to the Air Quality Index (AQI)external icon. The AQI is a tool that tells you when high levels of air pollution are predicted and tells you how air pollution affects your health. Finding the AQI is easy. It’s on the Web, on many local TV weather forecasts, or you can sign up for free e-mail tools and appsexternal icon. The AQI is easy to use. If the AQI predicts a “Code Orange” (unhealthy for sensitive groups) day don’t cancel your plans—use the AQI to help you plan a better time or place for them.

The AQI tells you about five major air pollutants in the U.S. that are regulated by the US Environmental Protection Agency, including ozone and particle pollution. Ozone and particle pollution may harm the health of hundreds of thousands of Americans each year.

Use the new AirNowexternal icon to know when to expect high levels of air pollution and how to protect yourself..."
Air Quality

Do you think about air quality?

"Today’s the day to start thinking about air quality.

What can you do? Pay attention to the Air Quality Index (AQI)external icon. The AQI is a tool that tells you when high levels of air pollution are predicted and tells you how air pollution affects your health. Finding the AQI is easy. It’s on the Web, on many local TV weather forecasts, or you can sign up for free e-mail tools and appsexternal icon. AQI is easy to use. If the AQI predicts a “Code Orange” (unhealthy for sensitive groups) day don’t cancel your plans—use the AQI to help you plan a better time or place for them.

The AQI tells you about five major air pollutants in the U.S. that are regulated by the US Environmental Protection Agency, including ozone and particle pollution. Ozone and particle pollution may harm the health of hundreds of thousands of Americans each year.

Use the Air Quality Indexexternal icon to know when to expect high levels of air pollution and how to protect yourself..."

Air Quality

Do you think about air quality?

"Today’s the day to start thinking about air quality.

What can you do? Pay attention to the Air Quality Index (AQI). The AQI is a tool that tells you when high levels of air pollution are predicted and tells you how air pollution affects your health. Finding the AQI is easy. It’s on the Web, on many local TV weather forecasts, or you can sign up for free e-mail tools and apps. AQI is easy to use. If the AQI predicts a “Code Orange” (unhealthy for sensitive groups) day don’t cancel your plans—use the AQI to help you plan a better time or place for them.

The AQI tells you about five major air pollutants in the U.S. that are regulated by the US Environmental Protection Agency, including ozone and particle pollution. Ozone and particle pollution may harm the health of hundreds of thousands of Americans each year..."
Air quailty

How Many Breaths Do You Take Each Day?

"Watching the news and the problems that some countries are having with high levels of air pollution makes me appreciate the Clean Air Act, which calls on EPA and the states to protect air quality through programs based on the latest science and technology. I am especially appreciative today, the first day of Air Quality Awareness Week..."
Air quality

U.S. Department of State and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Launch Innovative International Air Quality Program

"Secretary of State John Kerry and EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy signed a statement of intent today to launch a new air quality partnership between the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The effort will provide U.S. citizens and government personnel with better information on air quality at select embassies and consulates around the world to reduce health risks from outdoor air pollution, and will offer greater opportunities for the United States to create partnerships on air quality with other nations..."
International air quality

EPA Releases Guidance to Improve Schools’ Indoor Air Quality and Energy Efficiency

"Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released new guidance to help school districts protect indoor air quality while increasing energy efficiency during school renovations.

“This guidance provides common-sense solutions for improving energy efficiency and indoor air quality in schools across the country,” said Janet McCabe, acting assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. “By using these guidelines, school districts can cut their energy bills and help ensure that students have a healthy and safe learning environment.”

Both energy management and protection of indoor air quality (IAQ) are important considerations for school facility management during energy upgrades and retrofits, and schools can protect occupant health by addressing both goals holistically. These renovation and construction activities can create dust, introduce new contaminants and contaminant pathways, create or aggravate moisture problems, and result in inadequate ventilation in occupied spaces. EPA’s Energy Savings Plus Health: Indoor Air Quality Guidelines for School Building Upgrades offers opportunities to prevent and control potentially harmful conditions during school renovations..."
Schools’ Indoor Air Quality

Air Quality Index: a Guide to Air Quality and Your Health

"The AQI is an index for reporting daily air quality. It tells you how clean or polluted your air is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for you. The AQI focuses on health effects you may experience within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. EPA calculates the AQI for five major air pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act: ground-level ozone, particle pollution (also known as particulate matter), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. For each of these pollutants, EPA has established national air quality standards to protect public health ..."
Air Quality Index

Recent Studies Show EPA Air Rules Do Not Threaten Electric Reliabilit

"In November 2011, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and M.J. Bradley and
Associates each released updated studies evaluating the effects of existing and upcoming EPA
regulations to control pollution from power plants. These assessments are still based in large part on proposed, rather than final rules. Nevertheless, they provide substantial assurance that the nation can achieve significant air quality improvements from cleaning up old polluting power plants without threatening the reliability of electricity supplies.."

EPA Affirms National Air Quality Standards for Carbon Monoxide Are Protective of Public Health
"After a careful review of the science, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is affirming the current national air quality standards for carbon monoxide (CO). The science shows that the current standards protect public health, including those who are most susceptible, and the environment. Since 1980, levels of CO in the air have fallen by 80 percent, mostly as a result of motor vehicle emissions controls.

CO is a colorless, odorless gas emitted from combustion processes. Nationally, and particularly in urban areas, the majority of CO emissions come from motor vehicles. CO can cause harmful health effects by reducing oxygen delivery to the body’s organs (like the heart and brain) and tissues.

To ensure people are protected from unhealthy concentrations of CO and to develop better information about CO and its health impacts, EPA is revising the air monitoring requirements. The changes will require a more focused monitoring network with CO monitors placed near roads in 52 urban areas with populations of 1 million or more..."

Free Tools to Protect Health as Summer Smog Season Begins
"May 2, 2011) – Today is the beginning of Air Quality Awareness Week, a cooperative effort among EPA, state environmental agencies and the National Weather Service to remind the public to protect their health by paying attention to local air quality. With the onset of warmer weather, the EPA urges New Englanders to be aware of the increased risk of ground-level ozone air pollution and fine particle air pollution (when combined, often referred to as smog), and take health precautions when poor air quality is predicted.

Air quality forecasts are issued daily by the New England state air agencies. Current air quality conditions and next day forecasts for New England are available each day at EPA’s web site. People can also sign up to receive “Air Quality Alerts.” These alerts, provided free by EPA through the EnviroFlash system, automatically notify participants by e-mail or text message when poor air quality is predicted in their area..."
See Air Quality Awareness Week web site.

EPA Proposal Cuts Pollution from Power Plants in 31 States and D.C. / Rule would reduce smog- and soot-forming emissions contributing to unhealthy air
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing regulations to cut air pollution that impairs air quality and harms the health of people living downwind. The regulation will target power plant pollution that drifts across the borders of 31 eastern states and the District of Columbia. Air pollution is linked to thousands of asthma cases and heart attacks, and almost 2 million lost school or work days. Along with local and state air pollution controls, the new proposal, called the transport rule, is designed to help areas in the eastern United States meet existing national air quality health standards.

“This rule is designed to cut pollution that spreads hundreds of miles and has enormous negative impacts on millions of Americans,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “We’re working to limit pollution at its source, rather than waiting for it to move across the country. The reductions we’re proposing will save billions in health costs, help increase American educational and economic productivity, and -- most importantly -- save lives.”

The transport rule would reduce power plant emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) to meet state-by-state emission reductions. By 2014, the rule and other state and EPA actions would reduce SO2 emissions by 71 percent over 2005 levels. NOx emissions would drop by 52 percent..."

Assessment of the Impacts of Global Change on Regional U.S. Air Quality: A Synthesis of Climate Change Impacts on Ground-Level Ozone (An Interim Report of the U.S. EPA Global Change Research Program)
"The earth’s climate governs several of the natural processes that influence air quality. Climate change, along with other aspects of global change, including changes in population, land use and the technologies employed for energy production and transportation, may alter the capacity for US states to successfully attain the national air quality standards in the future. In 2000, the US EPA ORD Global Change Research Program (GCRP) initiated a research and assessment program devoted to the evaluation of the potential impact of global change on US air quality. The overall design of the research and assessment program benefitted from input provided by the EPA Office of Air and Radiation, several EPA Regional offices, and the climate change research community. The EPA GCRP air quality research and assessment program is analyzing the complex role of global change processes in US air quality in two phases. The major effort undertaken in Phase 1 included the development of modeling tools that:

1. incorporate the physical and chemical links between global- and regional-scale meteorological processes to project future regional air quality, and;
2. account for changes in energy and transportation technologies in future air quality-related emissions."

EPA Designates Areas as Attainment and Nonattainment for the 24-Hour PM2.5 National Air Quality Standards
"# On December 22, 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designated areas throughout the US as "nonattainment" and "unclassifiable/attainment" for the 24-hour national air quality standards for fine particulate matter (PM2.5).

# After EPA sets a new National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) or revises an existing NAAQS, EPA formally identifies or "designates" areas as unclassifiable/attainment (meeting the standard or expected to be meeting the standard despite a lack of monitoring data), nonattainment (not meeting the standard), or unclassifiable (insufficient data to classify).

# In making the decision to designate 211 counties or parts of counties as nonattainment, EPA carefully assessed the recommendations provided by states and tribes, as well as additional supporting information provided by states, tribes, and the public. These nonattainment areas include counties with monitors violating the standards and nearby areas that contribute to that violation. Affected states and tribes will be required to take steps to reduce the pollution that forms these particles. The majority of U.S. counties – over 3,000 – including tribal lands will not have to take additional steps to meet these standards, but will need to continue working to maintain clean air..."

U.S. Air Quality Standards for Lead Now 10 Times Stronger
" EPA dramatically strengthened the nation's air quality standards for lead, improving public health protection, especially for children. The new standards tighten the allowable lead level 10 times to 0.15 micrograms of lead per cubic meter of air (ug/m3).

"America's air is cleaner than a generation ago," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "With these stronger standards a new generation of Americans are being protected from harmful lead emissions."

This decision marks the first time the lead standards have changed in 30 years. EPA strengthened the standards after a thorough review of the science on lead, advice from the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, and consideration of public comments. The previous standards, set in 1978, were 1.5 ug/m3.

EPA's action sets two standards: a primary standard at 0.15 ug/m3 to protect health and a secondary standard at the same level to protect the public welfare, including the environme.."nt.

EPA, States and Tribes Work in Collaboration to Meet the 24-hour Fine Particle National Air Quality Standard
" In an important step to help improve the nation’s air quality, EPA identifies areas across the country that are either meeting or not meeting national standards for fine particle pollution, or PM 2.5.

In response to recommendations from state and tribal representatives, the agency sent letters outlining areas it is considering designating as attainment or nonattainment for the 24-hour fine particle standards. Today, the agency notified 25 states that they currently meet the fine particle standards, while the remaining states have at least one area under consideration for a nonattainment designation. A nonattainment area would include counties with monitors violating the 24-hour standard and near counties that contribute to that violation."

Latest Findings on National Air Quality
"For more than 35 years, EPA has been working to reduce pollution and make the nation’s air cleaner and healthier to breathe. This summary report highlights
the agency’s most recent evaluation of status and trends in our nation’s air quality."