il Air Program
itement on
/ISIO
Final Draft
December 2000
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Introduction
Past Accomplishments and Future Challenges
Vision and Goals for Air Quality Management
Achieve Further Improvements in Air Quality
Manage for Results
Use Innovative Approaches
Conduct Sound Research and Use Information Effectively
Respond to New Challenges and Emerging Issues
Build a Better Partnership
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Realizing the Vision
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Introductioi
This document describes a shared
10-year vision and set of strategic goals for the National
Air Program. It has been developed through a collab-
orative strategic planning process involving the different
governments—federal, tribal, state, and local—that play
a part in air quality management. Organizations
involved in developing this vision and goals statement
include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
the National Tribal Environmental Council (NTEC), the
Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP), the
Environmental Council of the States (ECOS), the State
and Territorial Air Pollution Program Administrators
(STAPPA), and the Association of Local Air Pollution
Control Officials (ALAPCO).
The creation of this document reflects that the different
governments understand that they all play a key role in
air quality protection, and that it is the sum of their
collective efforts that constitutes the National Air
Program. While the objectives and priorities of each
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agency and level of government reflect their values
and specific focus, it is vital that all parties share a
common vision and strategic direction for air quality
management. A shared vision is essential so that the
different governments can work together efficiently to
achieve common ends, communicate easily and with-
out misunderstandings, and present a consistent set of
priorities and objectives to the public, stakeholders,
and federal and state lawmakers.
The creators of this vision and goals document antici-
pate that it will serve as a guide and reference for air
quality managers at all levels of government. It is not
intended to create new requirements for any govern-
ment; its legitimacy should spring from a consensus on
the strategic direction it describes. Further collaborative
work will be necessary to expand and implement spe-
cific strategies in highlighted areas, as well as to
strengthen and deepen the working relationship
among the partners.
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Past Accomplishments and Future Challenges
The nation has made great strides in
improving air quality in the past 30 years, resulting in
important health benefits. From 1970 to 1997, total
emissions of pollutants governed by air quality stan-
dards declined by nearly one-third, while the U.S.
economy showed strong growth and the nation's pop-
ulation increased markedly. (See table and graph on
the following pages.) On average, air quality nation-
wide improved from 1 989 to 1 998 for all six pollu-
tants subject to air quality standards. Most Americans
live in areas that are meeting air quality standards for
sulfur dioxide (SC>2), lead, carbon monoxide (CO),
and coarse particulates, and all areas of the country
meet the standard for nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Ozone
smog levels also have improved. Of the 98 areas des-
ignated in 1991 as nonattainment for the 1-hour
ozone standard, 62 have air quality that meets the
standard (based on data through 1998).
One key reason for these air quality improvements is
the dramatic emissions reductions achieved through
Clean Air Act requirements for motor vehicles and
fuels. Today, the average new car is 40 percent clean-
er than the average new car in model year 1 990, and
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more than 30 percent of the nation's gasoline is a
cleaner-burning blend designed to reduce emissions
and health risks. Recently issued standards for cars,
light-duty trucks, and gasoline will achieve important
additional pollution reductions.
Other achievements in reducing air pollution include
the following:
Annual SO? emissions, which react to form acid
rain, have been cut by more than 5 million tons
from the 1980 level, and rainfall in the eastern
United States is as much as 25 percent less acidic.
Production of the most harmful ozone-depleting
chemicals, including chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
has virtually ceased in the United States and other
developed countries. Provided the United States
and the world community maintain the commitment
to planned protection efforts, the stratospheric
ozone layer is projected to recover by the mid-21s'
century.
Toxic emissions from industry will be cut an estimat-
ed 1.5 million tons annually by national regulations
issued since 1 990.
Air Quality Improvement and
Economic Growth in the United States
250
^ 200
K 100
50
Vehicle Miles Traveled
(+127%)
Gross Domestic Product
(+114%)
Population ( + 31%)
1970 Baseline
Aggregate Emissions (-31%)
(Six Criteria Pollutants)
1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995
YEAR
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17%*
Long-term Change in National Air
Quality Concentration and Emissions
Pollutant/Air Quality Air Quality Emissions:
Problem Concentration: % Change
% Change! 979-1998 1970-1998
Carbon Monoxide (CO) -58% -31%
Lead -96%
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) -25%
Ozone -17%
Fine Particulates(PM10) Data Not Available -71%
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) -53% -37%
* All nitrogen oxides (NOx).
** Ozone is not directly emitted. Emissions of volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) and NOx react in the atmosphere to form
ground-level ozone pollution. Emissions of VOCs dropped 42
percent during the 1970-1998 period.
These results have been achieved through a variety of
approaches—regulations, voluntary measures, market
mechanisms, state-EPA partnerships, and stakeholder
negotiations.
Despite these achievements, much work lies ahead. Air
pollution continues to be a widespread public health
and environmental problem in the United States, as
well as globally. Almost 50 million people are breath-
ing air with ozone concentrations above the current
national standards. Millions of Americans continue to
be exposed to fine particulates at levels that are harm-
ful to their health, causing thousands of respiratory-
related illnesses and premature deaths each year.
More hazardous pollutants (many of whose health
impacts are poorly understood) are discharged into the
air than are released to surface water, ground water
and land combined. Indoor air pollutants pose a sub-
stantial health risk to millions of people in homes,
schools, and offices nationwide. Although some
progress has been achieved in reducing the pollutants
that cause acid rain, emissions of sulfur dioxide and
nitrogen oxides remain at levels that are damaging to
lakes and forests.
Global air quality issues pose a daunting challenge.
Because CFCs are extremely persistent in the atmos-
phere and are still widely used in many developing
countries, stratospheric ozone depletion remains a sig-
nificant problem with serious long-term health implica-
tions. Releases of greenhouse gases, with potentially
far-reaching impacts on climate and sea level, will
j>
continue to grow worldwide.
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Air pollution continues to be a
public health and environmental problem in the
United States, as well as globally.
Achieving further air quality gains—even maintaining
gains to date—will be difficult. Most "easy things"
have been done; further reductions will be more con-
tentious and, in some cases, will involve actions by the
public. Although the public supports environmental
protection, it lacks a sense of urgency about air quali-
ty. Additionally, the public does not necessarily recog-
nize that the many dispersed activities of individuals
and small businesses are responsible for most of the
remaining air quality problems. Resources collectively
available to protect air quality have not kept up with
growing air quality management challenges and pro-
gram responsibilities.
Further progress will also present institutional chal-
lenges to EPA and the tribal, state, and local govern-
ments (the "air management partners"). Sharing
responsibilities in the federal system has generally
worked well, but the air management partners will
need to work even more collaboratively than in the
past, and avoid the jurisdictional conflicts and mis-
communication that have sometimes taken time and
energy away from activities more directly related to
better air quality management.
The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1 990 recognized
tribal sovereignty and articulated Congress' intent to
authorize tribes to carry out federal environmental pro-
grams for lands within their jurisdiction. Following the
promulgation of the Tribal Authority Rule in 1 998,
many tribes began the first stages of developing tribal
air programs. Challenges include increasing the cur-
rently very limited information on air quality on tribal
lands, building tribal capacity to administer air pro-
grams in Indian Country, and building effective EPA
and state mechanisms to work with tribal governments
on regulatory development, regional issues, and
national policy.
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Vision and Go
Clean air is essential to a healthy
population, a healthy environment, and, in turn, a
healthy economy. The air management partners are
committed to making the air in every community
healthy to breathe, to reducing ecosystem damage
from air pollution, and to doing their share to address
global air quality problems. In the next 10 years, the
governments charged with protecting air quality envi-
sion substantial additional improvements in air quality,
despite countervailing trends in population, economic,
and transportation growth. Maintaining gains to date
and further improving air quality will require the air
management partners to:
• Establish a set of shared goals and strategies for air
quality improvement.
• Continue to improve results-based management
systems to target resources effectively.
• Involve and educate the public and make greater
use of innovative approaches to reducing pollution.
• Conduct sound research and effectively use new
information technologies.
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• Respond creatively and vigorously to new chal-
lenges and emerging issues.
• Improve the working partnership of the air quality
managers at all levels of government.
Realizing this vision is necessary to maintain and
improve air quality in this country. Good air quality in
the future will provide important benefits to human
health, welfare, and ecosystems. Achieving the vision
is possible, but by no means guaranteed. In addition
to carrying out their current functions well, the air
management partners will need to develop new skills
and approaches, become more efficient, and work
together more effectively to solve problems.
Stakeholders, including the public, must be given the
opportunity to participate more in developing manage-
ment strategies. The partners will need to commit
themselves to shared goals and the strategies neces-
sary to achieve them. They will need to gain the back-
ing of the public, active stakeholders, and legislatures
in support of a vigorous air quality improvement agen-
da. Highlights of this joint vision are described in the
following section.
Achieve Further Improvements
In Air Quality
In the next 10 years, the National Air Program will
achieve substantial progress in reducing pollution and
improving air quality, despite the demographic and eco-
nomic trends that, other things being equal, would tend
to worsen air quality. Ten years from now, all, or nearly
all, areas of the country will meet applicable air quality
standards for ozone, and gains for other criteria pollu-
tants (i.e., SO2, NOX, lead, and CO) will be maintained.
Large strides will be made toward reducing emissions
and meeting new standards for fine particulate matter.
Substantial progress will be made in addressing visibility
and regional haze. Emissions and risks from toxic air
pollutants will be significantly reduced from current lev-
els. Emissions of SC>2 and NOX will be reduced, with
corresponding reductions in acid deposition. As a result,
many lakes will continue to recover from the effects of
acid rain. Indoor air quality will receive substantially
more programmatic attention; the public will be more
aware of both indoor air risks and safety measures; and
exposures to contaminants that pose a health risk will be
substantially reduced.
Continued progress in reducing these pollutants will
have significant public health benefits, including
reductions in thousands of premature deaths, cancer
cases, respiratory illnesses, and damaging reproduc-
tive impacts. Improved air quality will also increase vis-
ibility, reduce damage to crops and buildings, lessen
degradation to ecosystems, and help protect tribal cul-
tures and resources.
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In 10 years, local and regional air quality issues will be
addressed more effectively and routinely. Increasingly
tailored approaches will be developed to deal with local
hot spots and particular combinations of many small,
local sources. Large, multi-state, regional air transport
issues (such as acid rain and ozone) will largely have
been solved through effective inter-jurisdictional cooper-
ation. Peoples whose cultures and subsistence lifestyles
result in greater exposure to environmental contami-
nants, as well as vulnerable subpopulations—children,
the elderly, people with respiratory ailments, and those
living in pockets of high exposure—will be protected,
and will be routinely considered in the process of devel-
oping regulations and air quality control strategies.
Widespread measures to address ventilation, building
materials, and other indoor air pollution sources will
substantially reduce current health risks such as asthma
and other respiratory ailments.
Increased attention will be paid to global air pollution
issues. The United States will continue to reduce its use
of ozone-depleting chemicals. In 10 years, based on a
wide, bipartisan consensus, we envision that the
United States will work to achieve reductions in fossil
fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. In
addition to doing its share, the United States will work
actively and collaboratively with other nations to fash-
ion workable approaches to global air problems.
EPA's strategic plan should be consistent with the vision
expressed in this document. The partners support col-
laborative efforts to achieve this consistency.
The EPA, tribal, state and Ic
are committed to m<
to breathe, to reducing
and to doing their share
Manage for Results
To achieve continued progress in improving air quality
in the next 10 years and fulfill legal mandates, the air
management partners will create more "highly tuned"
environmental management systems that can effective-
ly assign resources to the most significant problems
and most cost-effective strategies, measure perform-
ance, and collect and learn from new information. A
collaborative environmental management system will
assign responsibility and accountability to the eve of
government best suited for the job. Where there are
not enough available resources to do the whole job,
managers will work cooperatively to make the case for
critical programs and develop creative mechanisms,
such as public/private partnerships, to leverage
resources. They will also set priorities on the basis of
health and environmental risk and the cost-effective-
ness of prospective solutions.
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al governments ('air management partners')
;ing the air in every community nGdltny
cosystem damage from air pollution,
> address global air quality problems.
Effective priority-setting will allow environmental man-
agers to work on the problems and sources posing the
greatest risk, rather than trying to control all sources
and solve all problems. To complete the results-based
management "loop," air managers must be able to
interpret and learn from data, and have the flexibility
to adjust course (if appropriate) in response to new
information. Building upon current efforts, environ-
mental managers and stakeholders will fashion effec-
tive measurement systems to track environmental
outcomes (e.g., via environmental indicators) and the
effectiveness of programs and strategies.
Successfully implementing a management system
founded on environmental results will require the air
management partners to set clear goals and objec-
tives, develop the analytic tools and skills to translate
raw data into information useful to decision-makers,
make investments in data to fill key knowledge gaps,
and exercise organizational discipline. In 10 years, air
quality management will be results-based at all levels
of government.
es
The impressive air quality gains achieved in this coun-
try during the past 30 years have been accomplished
largely through the development and implementation
of regulations and controls on large point sources,
along with cleaner fuels and motor vehicle emission
standards. Air managers must continue to implement
this core program effectively. Additionally, if substantial
further air quality gains are to be achieved, new
approaches will need to be employed. Although major
point sources will require continued attention, most
remaining air pollution springs from a multiplicity of
small, dispersed sources that do not lend themselves
easily to traditional regulation. Reducing pollutant
emissions from these sources will require strategies
that influence behavior and lifestyle, such as trans-
portation choices, which in turn are linked to growth.
Land use and economic development decisions are the
primary "drivers" for transportation decisions and the
consequent urban air quality issues we currently face.
To be successful in our efforts, it is imperative that we
develop strong working relationships with federal, trib-
al, state, and local energy and economic development
agencies and organizations, and become influential in
guiding the process of transportation planning and
funding toward less emissive forms of transportation.
Transportation and land use must effectively take into
account potential air quality impacts so that when
communities grow, the development of air quality
problems is prevented.
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Air quality management during the next 10 years will
include a shift from the traditional emissions control
approach to one that emphasizes the prevention of air
quality problems. This will include promoting and
enabling the design and operation of new or modified
process technologies that result in the lowest possible
emissions, rather than simply adding controls to
process technologies that emit air pollutants.
A critical area of innovation in the next decade will be
the development of more holistic approaches to pollu-
tion control. Future air quality control approaches will
increasingly adopt a multi-pollutant and, where appro-
priate, a cross-media perspective. Such approaches
will result in more comprehensive and effective con-
trols that take account of co-control and cross-media
transport, as well as effects on ecosystems. Integrated,
collaborative management approaches in specific
geographic regions (such as airsheds and watersheds)
will help coordinate efforts to control specific pollu-
tants and media, and serve as a vehicle to link the
efforts of different eve s of governments. Development
of such approaches to pollution control will require
managers to move beyond their traditional focus on
single media and individual pollutants.
In the next 10 years, a variety of voluntary and incen-
tive-based approaches will be developed to influence
pollution-producing behavior without the "hammer" of
direct regulation. Public education is one tool that has
been used successfully to influence behavior in the
indoor air program, as well as in other environmental
arenas. For example, efforts to reduce radon risk have
relied almost entirely on education and voluntary
measures, and the recently launched initiative, "Asthma
and the Environment: A Strategy to Protect Children,"
developed by a Presidential Task Force in January
1 999, emphasizes voluntary measures. In the future,
education to influence voluntary behavior change will
be used more intensively in outdoor air quality protec-
tion. Education will inform people of the relationship
between their activities and pollution, highlight person-
al choices and raise awareness of options, and appeal
to people's desire to "do the right thing." As one
example, school curricula that address environmental
issues will deepen society's understanding of air pollu-
tion's effect on ecosystems and human health.
In 10 years, more widespread and effective use of
incentives will be used to influence behavior and reduce
pollution-causing practices. Regulatory requirements
themselves create a powerful market incentive to find
cheaper and better control technologies. Past require-
ments to control VOCs, reduce SC>2 from utilities, phase
out CFCs, and reduce motor vehicle emissions have
been implemented at a cost that turned out to be far
lower than that originally estimated by industry and even
EPA. Many other types of public and private incentives
are possible, including subsidies to encourage non-
polluting behavior and taxes on polluting sources or
behaviors. Publicity has proven to be a powerful motiva-
tor in the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) and hazardous
waste programs, and will be used even more effectively
to motivate reductions in emissions of air pollutants in
the future. Incorporation of air pollution considerations
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Air professionals explore the new ambient air monitoring
platform, Los Vegas, NV
in planning and growth management decisions will
have a significant effect on behavior (e.g., by making it
more feasible or attractive to use mass transit or bi-
cycles). Market-based incentives will increasingly be
used in combination with regulation (for example, trad-
ing and banking programs) to give facilities an extra
incentive to undertake reductions beyond those required
by regulation, often at a lower cost.
Successful development of these innovative approaches
will require air managers to acquire new skills (or learn
to partner with groups that have them), including mar-
keting/public education and economic and tax analysis.
In addition, air managers must increase their under-
standing of organizational and individual behavior and
find ways to overcome the existing organizational and
legal boundaries separating media programs.
Conduct Sound Research and Use
Information Effectively
A strong, coordinated research program will be critical
to supporting a more efficient, results-based system of
air quality management in the future. In the next 10
years, scientific research and new data collection will
answer key questions and will be linked to policy ques-
tions and program management needs.
Additional health research on the effects of fine partic-
ulates will advance scientific understanding in this
area. Public health and ecological assessments will be
completed for pollution issues of concern, and will
guide information-driven program strategies for
addressing pollution problems. The establishment of
air quality monitoring networks and long-term data
collection on tribal lands will greatly increase our
knowledge of air quality on these lands. Risk assess-
ments and epidemiological research will increase our
collective understanding of the effects of exposure to
air contaminants on indigenous populations, as well
as increase our understanding of the cumulative risks
from multiple pollutants and exposure pathways.
To inform the development of the most effective con-
trol strategies, research will continue on controls for
mobile, area, and point sources; product formulations;
application techniques; and other means for cost-
effectively reducing emissions. Through effective use of
information technology, new scientific knowledge and
research findings will be much more widely available
to scientists, decision-makers, and the public.
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The information revolution creates both challenges and
opportunities for air managers. New information tech-
nology creates possibilities for new and more efficient
ways of doing business, such as electronic submittal of
data, easier interagency data exchange, public access
to information, virtual meetings, and better and more
powerful tools (such as Geographic Information
Systems) for managing and analyzing information. The
increased access to information and the ease of data
exchange via the Internet are potentially great boons to
environmental managers and stakeholders, who in the
past have had difficulty finding and obtaining relevant
data. The Internet also creates an increasing expecta-
tion by stakeholders and the public that they will have
real-time access to good information, both to under-
stand local environmental and public health risks and
to support their participation in management decisions.
As environmental data become available to a wider
audience of stakeholders and other secondary users,
data documentation, quality, and communication will
become increasingly important to ensure that data are
used responsibly and appropriately. In 10 years, the air
management partners will have responded effectively to
the challenge of using information technology to
accomplish their mission.
Respond to New Challenges and
Emerging Issues
In the next 10 years, the National Air Program will be
able to respond effectively to a number of new chal-
lenges—some of which may not even be apparent yet.
Some critical air quality challenges have already been
discussed above: the need to reduce pollution from
many small sources; the need to deal more effectively
with the high exposures and health risks from indoor air
pollutants; the need to cooperate with other nations to
address critical global issues; and the need to develop
more integrated pollution control strategies that deal
with multiple pollutant, cross-media, and regional/
multi-state impacts.
Other challenges arise from changing technology, eco-
nomics, or institutions that have an important effect on
air quality. One such trend, as noted above, is the rev-
olution in information technology and the growth of the
Internet. In another significant change, already under
way, tribal governments are participating far more
actively and directly in air quality management. The
development of successful tribal air programs will
require the air management partners to build ambient
air monitoring networks, create a technical and infor-
mation infrastructure, and identify long-term resources
to operate programs.
Another change is the increased recognition of local
governments' important role in decisions that directly or
indirectly (e.g., through land management decisions)
determine environmental quality. Yet another trend is
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Attending the September 2000 ribbon-cutting for the Tribal Air Monitoring
Support Center, Las Vegas, are (left to right): Dr, Gary Nebhan, Director,
Center for Sustainable Environments, Northern Arizona University; Robert
Perciasepe, Assistant Administrator, US EPA Office of Air and Radiation;
Randy Ashley, Confederated Solish and Kootenai Tribes, Montana; Clair
Miller, Council Person, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Arizona.
energy deregulation, which will change the economic
landscape for a very important class of point sources.
In the next 10 years, the air management partners will
build upon their existing skills in identifying key emerg-
ing issues and trends, and enhance their ability to
respond to change creatively and effectively. These
emerging trends underscore the importance of attract-
ing and retaining excellent, motivated staff with a mix
of skills, ranging from science and engineering to infor-
mation management to education and multi-stakehold-
er facilitation. Meeting this challenge will require the air
management partners to work with academic institu-
tions to ensure that high-quality educational and pro-
fessional development opportunities are available to
future generations of air quality professionals.
Build a Better Partnership
During the next 10 years, EPA, tribal, state, and local
governments will transform the generally cooperative
working relationship of today into a stronger, deeper
partnership that is more effective and efficient in pro-
tecting air quality. This partnership will be based upon
several key principles that will guide the way govern-
ments work with one another:
• Respect: Acknowledging the importance of the role
of each government and agency, the experience
and maturity of state and local programs, and the
uniqueness of tribal cultures.
• Up-front involvement of tribal, state, and local
authorities in early stages of EPA's planning, regula-
tory development, and other key national air activi-
ties that will affect them.
• Clearly defined roles and responsibilities for all lev-
els of government that are continually reassessed
and modified based upon partners' priorities, capa-
bilities, and resources.
• Clear "rules of engagement" in areas of potential
conflict (e.g., agreement on the criteria and process
for deciding which partner should take the lead on
enforcement actions).
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The partnership will have the means and the commit-
ment to work jointly to align federal, tribal, state, and
local goals, objectives, and strategies, so that all parties
are working toward common ends. The partners will
routinely work together from the beginning of planning
and regulatory development processes, resulting in bet-
ter products and joint "ownership" of resulting strate-
gies. The partners will cooperate to solve problems and
resolve differences. The partners recognize that govern-
ments will need to move forward with decisions and
actions, and expect to improve their joint efforts through
implementation, learning, and adaptation.
Tribes have a unique status under federal law. Tribal
sovereignty and Congress' intent to authorize direct
tribal administration of air programs in Indian Country
were made explicit in the 1990 Clean Air Act
Amendments and implemented through the 1 998
Tribal Authority Rule. At the same time, the federal
government has a special trust responsibility to protect
both the natural resources and the right to self-govern-
ment of native peoples. During the next few years,
many tribes will be taking on a direct role managing
their own air programs. Tribes will work to build
expertise, capacity, and infrastructure so as to develop
and administer air programs, and will benefit from
assistance and cooperation from EPA, local, and state
agencies. In fashioning their own approaches to air
quality protection, consistent with their traditions and
culture, tribes can benefit from the experiences—and
lessons learned—from state and local programs.
Tribes will develop a national "voice" for tribal partici-
pation in national policy and operational discussions.
The air quality management partners will work togeth-
er to develop the means for tribes to participate with
local and state agencies in regional planning and
coordination.
Current disagreements between EPA and state agen-
cies about policies and respective roles in enforcement
and compliance will be resolved in a way that respects
the maturity of state programs and the legitimate need
to maintain federal oversight and national consistency.
In dealing with specific issues, the partners will have
routine mechanisms for determining the most appro-
priate respective roles—convener, regulator, partici-
pant—each can play in solving that problem.
Traditional roles and responsibilities will need to be
reevaluated collaboratively to assure that activities are
being carried out by the air management partner(s)
best suited to doing so. As important new initiatives
emerge or priorities change, roles and responsibilities
might need to change. This collaborative approach,
which will require flexibility from all the partners, will
channel efforts efficiently and reduce conflict and
duplication.
Resource allocation is a key area where air manage-
ment partners will need to work together. The
resources available to carry out the National Air
Program have varied over time and have not kept
pace with the challenge and scope of the growing
program. Federal, tribal, state, and local governments
will need to engage legislators, stakeholders, and the
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public in a broad dialogue on the importance of air
quality issues, resulting in well-informed decisions and
public support for sufficient resources to carry out
important programs to protect air quality. At the same
time, air managers will need to work collectively to
make the most effective use of finite collective
resources. They must establish sound priorities for allo-
cating limited resources, including (where necessary)
cutting program elements to free resources to address
higher priorities and new initiatives. They will need to
work together to identify additional sources of funding
and develop creative approaches to get the job done.
Creating an improved intergovernmental air manage-
ment partnership will require the effective use of exist-
ing forums and mechanisms, and the creation of some
new ones. STAPPA and ALAPCO are valuable national
voices for state and local air agencies, with ECOS
(which has an Air Quality Committee) providing a
forum for state environmental directors to communicate
with one another and with EPA on policy issues.
Performance Partnership Agreements, tribal agree-
ments, and grants can be effective vehicles for jointly
setting priorities and agreeing upon respective roles.
New or modified mechanisms may be needed to: cre-
ate a national voice for tribes; develop better mecha-
nisms for joint, intergovernmental regional planning;
develop appropriate multi-state planning and coordi-
nation venues; and ensure adequate participation by
all partners in setting national direction. Future tribal
mechanisms for participating in national policy will
build upon the existing activities of NTEC and ITEP to
create a national tribal air organization.
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Senior management representatives of
the air management partners, including the Assistant
Administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation, a
board member of NTEC, the chair and vice chair of
the ECOS Air Committee, and the presidents of STAPPA
and ALAPCO, are committed to carrying out concrete
next steps that will make this vision real and vital. To
this end, they have initiated a set of high-priority
implementation actions. These actions will strengthen
partnership among air managers and advance air
quality management under the themes described in
this report. The actions are designed to enhance and
work with existing institutions, rather than create new
layers of bureaucracy or new initiatives unrelated to
existing activities. Through the establishment of a
Clean Air Partnership Committee, the senior managers
propose to formalize their role in steering this multi-
government process. The partnership will serve as a
forum for senior managers from different levels of
government to continue a healthy dialogue on inter-
governmental cooperation and strategic direction for
the National Air Program.
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