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Which Areas in New England Do Not Attain PM Standards?

Click for a larger image: Map of New England Counties Designated as Nonattainment for the PM2.5 Standard

A "designation" is the term EPA uses to describe the air quality in a given area for any of six common pollutants known as "criteria pollutants", one of which is PM. An area is designated as nonattainment if EPA determines that it has (or contributes to) pollution levels higher than allowed under EPA's national air quality standards. Once nonattainment designations take effect, state and local governments have three years to develop implementation plans designed to meet the standards.

Under the 1990 Amendments to the Clean Air Act, Presque Isle, Maine, and New Haven, Connecticut, were designated as out-of-compliance with the PM10 "coarse particle" standard. Today, however, all of New England is meeting the PM10 standard. Moreover, annual average PM10 concentrations decreased 29 percent in the Northeast between 1988 and 2003.

On December 17, 2004, EPA issued official designations for the 1997 PM2.5 standards and made modification in April 2005. [These standards were revised in September 2006 – see below.] EPA designated areas as nonattainment if they violated the 1997 annual PM2.5 standard over a three-year period, or if relevant information indicated that they contributed to violations in a nearby area. EPA designated areas as attainment/unclassifiable if monitored air-quality data showed no violations of PM2.5 annual standard over a three-year period or if there was not enough information to determine air quality.

In New England, EPA designated two Connecticut counties (i.e., New Haven and Fairfield Counties) as nonattainment for the 1997 annual PM2.5 standard. These counties are part of a multi-state nonattainment area that encompasses the New York City metropolitan area, and includes 10 counties in northern New Jersey and 10 counties in downstate New York. Click here for a map of this New York City PM2.5 nonattainment area. All other areas in New England have been designated attainment/unclassifiable for the 1997 annual PM2.5 standard. In December 2005, EPA upheld its nonattainment designations for New England. A Questions and Answers (PDF) (7 pp, 174K, about PDF) document provides more information about PM2.5 nonattainment areas in New England.

States with nonattainment areas for the 1997 annual PM2.5 standard (click here for a national map (PDF) (4 pp, 744K, about PDF)) are required to submit state implementation plans (SIPs) to EPA by April 2008. These plans will outline measures that states will implement to meet the PM2.5 standard. EPA is encouraging states to submit regional haze and PM2.5 implementation plans together so that the agency can review both plans at the same time. EPA will work closely with state and local governments to help nonattainment areas meet the 1997 PM2.5 standard. States would be required to meet standards by April 2010, unless EPA grants an extension (up to April 2015).

On September 21, 2006, EPA revised the PM standards by lowering the level of the 24-hour PM2.5 standard from 65 to 35 μg/m3 and retaining the level of the annual PM2.5 standard at 15 μg/m3. The Agency also retained the 24-hour PM10 standard of 150μg/m3. However, the annual PM10 standard was revoked because of a lack of evidence establishing a link between long-term exposure to coarse particles and health problems.

EPA anticipates making final designations for the 2006 PM2.5 standards by December 18, 2008. However, EPA may extend the date of final designation up to a year (but no later than December 18, 2009) if the agency has insufficient information to make the designations in 2008. Click here for more information on the 2006 PM Standards Revision.

Many strategies to reduce PM2.5 levels are already in place. These include:

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