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8-HOUR OZONE NONATTAINMENT AREAS IN NEW ENGLAND
EPA designated nonattainment areas for the 1997 8-hour ozone standard.
Scientific evidence shows that concentrations of ozone in the air can affect human health. EPA previously set a National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone at 0.08 parts per million (ppm), averaged over 8-hours. The map above shows those areas in New England that have been designated nonattainmnet, or not meeting, the 8-hour ozone standard.
Click here for a table (PDF) (3 pp, 68K, about PDF) containing the exact boundary descriptions and classifications for the 8-hour ozone nonattainment areas in New England. Note: Since the time of designations in June 2004, Maine's air quality has improved and the State of Maine has been redesignated to attainment, or meeting, the ozone standard.
Based on these designations, states are required to develop implementation plans by June 2007 outlining what actions they will take to meet the ozone standard. For more information on these plans, click here.
In addition, EPA is required to review air quality standards every five years. On March 12, 2008, EPA issued revisions to the ozone standard. The new standard was set at 0.075 ppm, averaged over 8-hours. EPA has not designated areas for this standard as nonattainment. On September 16, 2009, EPA announced the reconsideration of the 2008 ozone standard. The agency will propose any revisions to the ozone standard by December 2009 and will issue a final decision by August 2010. For more information about the 2008 ozone standard click here.
In New England, the states operate a network of approximately 60 ozone monitoring stations during the ozone season (i.e., April 1 through September 30). To track changes in air quality, EPA maintains historical information about ground-level ozone exceedances, for every monitoring location in New England. For more information about the sources that contribute to the formation of ozone click here.
For more information on the national 8-hour ground-level designations, visit http://www.epa.gov/ozonedesignations/index.htm.