United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
454-F-03-001
Advances in
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Have you heard about air quality on your local TV, radio
station, or the weather forecast in your newspaper? If you
haven't, hopefully you will soon. Air quality forecasts are
now available in hundreds of U.S. cities. In addition to the
local media, you can access the most current air quality
measurements from the Internet (www.epa.gov/airnow).
This information comes from thousands of air monitors
operated by state, local and tribal air agencies in
partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA). t ————
Over the years, we have
steadily increased the
number of monitors to
determine where air
pollution levels may be
unhealthy.
Although we have seen
dramatic improvements in
the quality of the air we
breathe, there are still
communities that face
difficult air quality problems. To better address these
problems, we will be updating our air quality monitoring
network on a regular basis to assure that the public is
getting the optimal level of timely air quality information.
How Do We Monitor Air Quality?
Since 1970, when the Clean Air Act became law, we have
used a coordinated national system to monitor air quality.
This system is made up of thousands of individual air
monitoring stations located across the United States in
communities like yours.
Equipment used to measure air quality.
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4 Characterize pollution that forms particles and ozone.
4 Improve our understanding of air toxics levels
in communities.
To support these changing priorities, our nation's air
monitoring networks must also change.
What Planned?
4> We are realigning monitoring networks to focus on
pollutants of greatest health concern. These include
particles, ground-level ozone, and certain air toxics.
^ At some locations, we
may reduce
monitoring of certain
pollutants, such as
lead, that are of lesser
concern because
pollution control
efforts have
substantially reduced
them. However we
will keep a smaller
network in place to
continue to track these
pollutants.
O In many states, and on
some tribal lands, we
will add sites that
monitor multiple
pollutants. This will
help us better
understand how air
pollutants interact and
affect human health.
& To communities informed
about their local asr quality,
4 To find out where air quality
to be improved,
4 To determine whether efforts
to improve air quality are
working.
4- To understand how air
pollution may affect human
health and the environment.
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How May These
Your Community!
As we begin to adjust the air monitoring networks, our
primary goal is to continue to protect public health.
However, some monitors are no longer needed in their
current locations because data from nearby monitors
effectively evaluate the air. In such cases, air agencies will
move this equipment to other communities where we don't
yet have good air quality information. In other cases, we
will add monitors to measure more pollutants, or we will
replace older equipment with newer, more efficient
monitors. With these changes, communities will receive
better information about those air pollutants that are the
source of serious health concerns. And, you will find that
timely information about local air quality is more accessible
than ever.
Will Occur?
States will reassess their monitoring networks every 5 years
(and many states have already started). These assessments
will identify where the greatest needs for monitoring
changes exist. Then, state, local, and tribal agencies will
realign their networks so that they can be more effective in
protecting public health.
You
As we begin to restructure the air monitor networks, you
will have opportunities, to provide input—for example,
through news media announcements, public meetings, or
other public processes.
To learn more about
changes in your area,
contact your state or
local air pollution
control agency, Please
refer to the back panel
for contact information.
Recycled/Recyclable—Printed with vegetable oil-based inks on 100%
post consumer process, chlorine-free recycled paper.
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Under this system, each state operates monitoring
networks that measure important air pollutants* And each
network is made up of carefully placed monitoring stations*
Today* about 4fOOO monitoring stations are distributed
across the nation* Most of these monitoring stations collect
data on six key air pollutants: lead, carbon monoxide,
particles,- sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ground-level
ozone (also known as smog)* EPA also sets national
standards for these pollutants to protect public health* The
data from the monitoring system tells us how well a
community is doing in meeting these standards.
In representative areas of the country, we are also
collecting air quality information for certain toxic
pollutants* We know that some toxic air pollutants cause
cancer or other serious health problems, so we are building
a coordinated, nationwide system to monitor and track
these pollutants*
Are We The Air
Air pollution problems in the United States are changing*
Over the past 20 years, levels of the six key air pollutants
have dropped—sharply* Monitored levels of lead, for
example, have decreased 98 percent* But it doesn't mean
that all of our nation's air pollution problems are solved.
We know that millions of people live in areas where
monitored air is unhealthy at certain times* With some
areas continuing to have air quality problems, it's time to
refocus on new challenges*
We are working to:
^ Deliver timely air quality information to the public.
<3> Improve our ability to identify which sources are
contributing to air pollution and how it affects human
health*
4> Characterize rural air quality conditions*
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This brochure has been by the and Territorial Air
Pollution Program Administrators and the Association of Local Air
Pollution Control Officials In cooperation with the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency,
Visit STAPPA/ALAPCO at www,cleanairworld,org5 or visit EPA's
Web site at www.epa.gov/air/oaqps/index.html, or contact your
state, local or tribal air agency (www.nteaorg/NTAC.httnl),
Can You Find Air
If you have to a computer, you can find information online.
U.S. EPA's AIRWow Web site at www.epa.gov/aimowoffers daily
forecasts as well as real-time air quality information for over 300
cities. It also provides links to more detailed state and local air quality
Web sites.
Office of Air and Radiation (C404-04)
www.epa.gov/air
EPA~454-F~Q3~00t
April 2004
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