PM Designation

This Web site provides information about EPA's actions designating areas whose air quality does not meet the health-based standards established in 1997, 2006, and 2012 for fine particle pollution.

The Clean Air Act requires EPA to issue designations after the agency sets a new National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) or revises an existing standard. EPA formally designates areas as "nonattainment" (not meeting the standard), "unclassifiable/attainment" (meeting the standard or expected to be meeting the standard despite a lack of monitoring data), or "unclassifiable" (insufficient data to classify).

Once nonattainment designations take effect, the state and local governments must develop implementation plans outlining how areas will attain and maintain the standards by reducing air pollutant emissions contributing to fine particle concentrations.

EPA strengthened the air quality standards for particle pollution in 2006 and 2012. Learn more about the 2012 standards.

EPA will assist states and tribes throughout the initial area designations process for the 2012 annual PM2.5 NAAQS by providing technical and policy-related information relevant to making designations decisions. See Area Designations for the 2012 Annual PM2.5 Standard.

Area designations for the 2006 fine particle standard became effective in 2009 for most areas. Area designations became effective in March 2011 for deferred areas identified in the February 2011 Federal Register designations notice and in November 2012 for the two tribal areas identified in the October 2012 Federal Register designations notice. Learn more about the area designations for the 2006 daily fine particle standards.

Area designations for the 1997 fine particle standard became effective in 2005. Learn more about the area designations for the 1997 fine particle standards.

   

원본 위치 <http://www.epa.gov/pmdesignations/>