The paper quantifies the importance of area sources to total volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, reviews components of EPA/AEERL's non-attainment program, discusses the status of emission control or prevention for several area sources, and reviews some of the regulatory strategies being implemented or considered by state and local air pollution agencies. In 1988, several projects were undertaken by AEERL to develop a greater understanding of the contribution to the ozone problem by area sources of VOCs. These include studies related to specific sources of VOCs, identification of consumer/commercial product control options, and determination of the regional/seasonal variations in emissions. In each study, available sources of information have been used to develop priorities for the sources of emissions contributing to the ozone non-attainment problem. Sources of data include the technical literature, contacts in industry and elsewhere in the EPA, and surveys conducted by various trade organizations.