Challenges to Achieving Compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone

摘要

States have made significant progress in understanding and reducing ozone pollution in the 50 years since national standards were first adopted. Nonattainment areas, once widespread in the northeast, are now limited to the Mid-Atlantic coastal areas. Today, five of the original thirteen OTC member states are designated attainment. In the remaining states, nonattainment areas are less widespread. Unfortunately, significant contributions to nonattainment from sources located outside the OTC region continue while contributions from OTC member states are exacerbated by unavoidable meteorological conditions. Further support is needed from EPA to reduce interstate pollution transport as well as emissions from mobile sources. The OTC states must also look within at ever smaller sources to achieve the necessary emission reductions.