AMBIENT AIR MONITORING STRATEGY
Citation:
U.S. EPA. AMBIENT AIR MONITORING STRATEGY. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., 2005.
Impact/Purpose:
The goal for this project is to optimize the nation's ambient air monitoring networks and quality assurance system in order to provide air quality data that are of the most use to the environmental program. State, local, and tribal agencies will use this product to redesign their air monitoring networks.
Description:
The Clean Air Act requires EPA to establish national ambient air quality standards and to regulate as necessary, hazardous air pollutants. EPA uses ambient air monitoring to determine current air quality conditions, and to assess progress toward meeting these standards and related regulatory goals. EPA has traditionally concentrated much of the national air monitoring efforts on the "criteria pollutants", including ozone, particles, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and carbon monoxide. More recently, EPA is focusing upon the measurement of toxic air pollutants including early work to establish a national air toxics monitoring program. Nearly all of the air quality monitoring is conducted by State, local, and tribal agencies. Data needs and scientific demands upon the ambient air monitoring network are increasing. EPA is developing a national air monitoring strategy that will accommodate these changes. Update (5/7/03): CASAC Review Summer 2003, Complete strategy by Fall 2003, propose associated monitoring regulations by Dec 2003, promulgate by Summer 2004. Transition to new network strategy/methods will continue through 2007. Update: 9/15/2006: The monitoring regulations were actually proposed in Jan 2006 and are to be promulgated September 27, 2006. The monitoring stragy draft was completed in December 2005.