The official OTAG Final Report is now available from the OTAG home page. It made it from the printed final report to the web within half a year. A true miracle!
EPA today provided Eastern states with proposed targets for reducing the emissions that create smog problems throughout the eastern part of the United States. The new strategy, developed cooperatively with 37 states, recommends that such reductions can be achieved most cost-effectively by focusing on power plant emissions. "For the first time, EPA and the states are working together to control smog on a region-wide basis," said EPA Administrator Carol M. Browner.
TODAY'S ACTION: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to require 22 states and the District of Columbia to submit state implementation plans, [SIPs] that address the regional transport of ground-level ozone, the main component of smog. By improving air quality and reducing emissions of nitrogen oxides (a precursor to ozone formation known as NOx), the actions directed by these plans will decrease the transport of ozone across State boundaries in the eastern half of the United States.
In accordance with the Clean Air Act (CAA), today's action is a proposed rulemaking to require certain States to submit State implementation plan (SIP) measures to ensure that emission reductions are achieved as needed to mitigate transport of ozone (smog) pollution and one of its main precursors--emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx)-- across State boundaries in the eastern half of the United States. The States affected by today's action are in the OTAG Region. Today's action proposes to find that the transport of ozone from certain States in the OTAG region significantly contributes to nonattainment of the ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), or interferes with maintenance of the NAAQS, in downwind States. This proposal explains the basis for determining significant contribution or interference with maintenance for the affected States. Further, by today's action , EPA is proposing the appropriate levels of NOx emissions that each of the affected States will be required to achieve.
EPA is proposing revisions to the primary and secondary NAAQS for particulate matter (PM) by adding a new annual PM2.5 standard set at 15 µg/m3 and a new 24-hour PM2.5 standard set at 50 µg/m3, based on the 98th percentile, averaged over 3 years. This document was put on the Web for the convenience of the Web users - not an official website.
EPA is proposing revisions of the current 0.12 ppm, 1-hour primary and secondary NAAQS for ozone with a new 8-hour standard set at 0.08 ppm. An area attains the standard when the 3rd highest daily maximum 8-hour concentration, averaged over 3 years, is below 0.08 ppm. This document was put on the Web for the convenience of the Web users - not an official website.
This is a concise document that outlines the background, mission and structure of the Ozone Transport Assessment Group, OTAG. It was transferred from the EPA TTN-OTAG Bulletin Board, Dec.1, 1995.
