In 1997, the U.S. feature. and chronic respiratory diseases (e.g., emphysema,

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1 em feature In 1997, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued revised National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone and fine particles.1 Many areas in the United States have air pollution in excess of the levels allowed under these standards, and face the difficult task of finding mechanisms to reduce pollution and improve air quality to acceptable levels. This article provides an overview of the steps EPA and states are taking to implement these standards; it begins with an outline of the basic air quality management requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA) that govern standard setting and implementation, and then summarizes how EPA and states can use these requirements, as well as employing innovative and voluntary approaches, to address the national-, regional-, and local-scale air quality management issues. NEW NAAQS FOR OZONE AND PM The 1997 NAAQS for ozone and particulate matter (PM) reflected substantial new scientific evidence on the harmful effects from these pollutants at exposures that were allowed under the previous standards. The previous 1-hr ozone standard was replaced with an 8-hr standard set at 0.08 parts per million (ppm), measured as the arithmetic average of the fourth-highest daily 8-hr concentration per year averaged over three years. The revised standard reflects growing evidence that ozone is particularly harmful to human health when exposure is prolonged. Ozone exposure has been shown to reduce lung function and exacerbate respiratory problems, such as asthma, lung inflammation, Lydia N. Wegman, J.D., is director of the Air Quality Strategies and Standards Division of EPA s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards in Research Triangle Park, NC. wegman.lydia@epa.gov. Erika N. Sasser, Ph.D., is an environmental protection specialist for EPA s Air Quality Strategies and Standards Division. sasser.erika@epa.gov. 8 em april 2005 and chronic respiratory diseases (e.g., emphysema, chronic bronchitis). It has also been linked to a variety of ecological problems, including reduced agricultural and silvicultural yields and increased susceptibility of plants to disease and environmental stresses.2 The revisions to the standards for PM focused on particles 2.5 micrometers in diameter or smaller (PM2.5). The new PM 2.5 standards were set at 15 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) on an annual basis (3-yr arithmetic average) and 65 µg/m3 on a daily (24-hr) basis (3-yr average of the 98th percentile of the daily 24-hr concentration each year). Fine particles have been shown to be extremely harmful to human health, causing a wide array of serious cardiovascular and respirator y problems, including premature mortality in people with heart or lung disease.3 Fine particles are also the main anthropogenic cause of pollution-related visibility impairment; of particular concern is regional haze, which impairs visibility over large areas of the country. PM2.5 can be emitted directly from sources, but both ozone and PM2.5 can form in the atmosphere through reactions of precursor gases, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) (PM and ozone), sulfur oxides (SOx) (PM), and certain reactive organic vapors (PM and ozone). IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REVISED NAAQS Each time EPA promulgates a new NAAQS, it sets in motion a chain of events mandated by the CAA. The law requires EPA and states to identify and designate areas that attain the new standards, fail to attain them, or are not classifiable based on current information. These designations must occur within two to three years after promulgation of new standards. At the same time that EPA is assessing pollution data and considering designation recommendations from the states, states must begin working to develop state implementation plans (SIPs). The CAA (Section 110) requires each

2 state to submit, within three years after promulgation of a new NAAQS, a plan providing for implementation, maintenance, and enforcement of the standards in all areas of the state.4 Once EPA finalizes designations of nonattainment areas, states may need to add further requirements to their SIPs for nonattainment areas. Part D of the CAA specifies that SIPs for nonattainment areas must demonstrate that THE OZONE AND PM DESIGNATION PROCESS Although the new 8-hr ozone and PM2.5 NAAQS were both promulgated in 1997, nonattainment designations were not completed in three years. Implementation of both sets of standards was delayed by litigation. The first challenge to the standards came in the form of a case brought before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit The close alignment of the submittal dates for PM2.5 and ozone SIPs is both a blessing and a curse for states: while it requires enormous effort on two fronts simultaneously, it also allows states to improve the effectiveness of their SIPs by considering control measures that address more than one pollutant. an area will attain the standard as expeditiously as practicable, but no later than specified deadlines after the date of designation. In addition to outlining enforceable measures for reducing emissions of pollutants and their precursors, as necessary, the SIP must demonstrate that the state will make reasonable progress toward attainment. Nonattainment-area SIPs are due within three years of final designations.5 (the D.C. Circuit) by the American Trucking Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, several state governments, and numerous other industry groups.6 The case eventually made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court.7 While the new standards were ultimately upheld by the courts,8 this litigation delayed implementation of the standards by approximately five years. PM2.5 designations would have been delayed in any event by the need to install a new monitoring network Symposium on Air Quality Measurement Methods and Technology 2005 YOUR! K R MA ENDARSan Francisco, CA April 19-21, 2005 CAL Visit www. for more information and to register. One of A&WMA s most popular conferences, Symposium on Air Quality Measurement Methods and Technology, is being held for the third time in four years in San Francisco, CA. The 2005 Symposium will provide a forum for presentations on the advances in measurement technology, specifically ambient air, indoor air, point source, and area source emissions. In the spirit of the joint Symposium on Measurement of Toxic and Related Air Pollutants held from 1985 to 2000 by the Air & Waste Management Association and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, this symposium will bring together individuals from industry, academia, and government to discuss the current development in air monitoring, measurement methods, and technology. Laboratory, field studies, and modeling studies will be presented and discussed. Cathedral Hill Hotel 1101 Van Ness Ave. San Francisco, CA Phone: Fax: april 2005 em 9

3 added for ozone designation decisions. Collectively, these considerations generally expand the area around a monitor to include areas and sources that contribute to the high pollution levels. EPA guidance establishes a presumption that the full metropolitan area contributes to observed violations in the area. DEVELOPING SIPS FOR THE NEW OZONE AND PM STANDARDS Figure 1. 8-hr ozone nonattainment counties in the United States. With the designations for both the ozone and PM2.5 standards complete, the next formal step required under the CAA is for states to develop and submit SIPs demonstrating how they intend to meet the new standards by the prescribed deadlines. In addition to requiring an attainment plan, the CAA mandates certain programs or control strategies for nonattainment areas. These include transportation conformity, new source review, reasonably available controls on certain industrial sources, any specific controls that Congress has required for ozone nonattainment areas classified under Subpart 2 of the CAA,9 and a plan for making reasonable further progress toward attainment. To develop SIPs, states must have a clear understanding of the amount, composition, and sources of pollution in or near their nonattainment areas. Recent scientific studies have shown that a large amount of the pollution affecting both ozone and PM2.5 nonattainment areas in the eastern United States is regional that is, it is transported from sources in other, more distant areas.10 Studies also show that mobile source emissions remain significant in most metropolitan and collect three years worth of valid and quality assured air quality data, as required by the standards to determine attainment status. To address these delays, the U.S. Congress passed legislation establishing new designation dates for both ozone and PM2.5. By the end of 2004, EPA issued nonattainment designations for both pollutants. On April 15, 2004, EPA finalized designations under the 8-hr ozone standard, designating 474 counties or partial counties as nonattainment using the three most recent years of available air quality data ( ; see Figure 1). Final PM 2.5 designations were issued on December 17, Nonattainment designations covered 224 counties or partial counties, plus the District of Columbia (see Figure 2). However, EPA gave states until February 2005 to submit air quality data for and seek a change in an area s designation. Because of overlap between ozone nonattainment areas and PM2.5 nonattainment areas, a total of 505 counties or partial counties have currently been designated nonattainment for one or both pollutants. Under the law, a nonattainment area is any area that does not meet (or that contributes to ambient air quality in a nearby area that does not meet) the national primary or secondary ambient air quality standard for any pollutant. In guidance for PM2.5 designations first issued in April 2003, EPA outlined a variety of criteria and factors that must be considered in determining the actual boundaries for nonattainment areas (see Table 1). Two additional considerations were Figure 2. PM2.5 nonattainment counties in the United States. 10 em april 2005

4 Table 1. Key factors in designation decisions. Factors in Ozone and PM2.5 Designations Emissions in areas potentially included versus excluded from the nonattainment area Air quality in potentially included versus excluded areas Population density and degree of urbanization, including commercial development in included versus excluded areas Traffic and commuting patterns Expected growth (including extent, pattern, and rate of growth) Meteorology (weather/transport patterns) Geography/topography (e.g., mountain ranges or other air basin boundaries) Jurisdictional boundaries (e.g., counties, air districts, reservations) Level of control of emission sources Additional Factors in Ozone Designations Location of emission sources Regional emissions reductions (e.g., NOx SIP Call or other enforceable regional strategies) Source: Designations for the Fine Particle National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Memorandum from Jeffrey R. Holmstead, EPA Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation, to EPA Regional Administrators, April 1, 2003; Air Quality Designations and Classifications for the 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards, Final Rule; 69 Fed. Regist areas.11 In order to correct air quality problems in these areas, states, assisted by EPA regulations and programs, must employ a combination of control strategies aimed at correcting both local pollution and transported pollution. Control requirements necessary to attain and maintain the NAAQS are a central part of the SIPs developed by states for nonattainment areas. Nonattainment-area SIPs are due three years after the effective date of designations, or by June 2007 for ozone and April 2008 for PM2.5. Each SIP must contain measures that will ensure attainment by certain dates. In the case of PM2.5, attainment is expected for all areas of the country as expeditiously as practicable, but not later than five years after the effective date of designations, or by April Depending on the severity of nonattainment and the availability and feasibility of pollution control measures, the EPA Administrator may extend this attainment date by up to five additional years (until 2015). In the case of ozone, the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 laid out a more specific schedule for attainment based on the classification of different areas according to the severity of their nonattainment. Under the new 8-hr standard, Subpart 1 areas (i.e., areas with 1-hr ozone design values less than.121 ppm) have up to five years after designation to reach attainment (until 2009), with a possible five-year extension after that (until 2014), remembering that attainment must be as expeditious as possible. Subpart 2 areas (i.e., areas with 1-hr ozone design values of.121 ppm and above, generally the more severely polluted areas) have attainment dates that match their classification: three years after attainment for marginal, six years for moderate, nine years for serious, 15 or 17 years for severe, and 20 years for extreme. Thus attainment deadlines for Subpart 2 areas range from 2007 to (potentially) At this point, there are no areas classified as extreme, so the latest attainment deadline for any 8-hr ozone nonattainment area is actually Figure 3 lays out key requirements for ozone and PM nonattainment areas according to the dates by which the actions are expected to occur. CRITICAL MEASURES TO HELP STATES REACH ATTAINMENT States are expected to reach attainment through a combination of local, regional, and national measures. These measures are briefly outlined in Table 2, and described in more detail below. For many nonattainment areas, transported pollution is a big part of the problem. Addressing transport is critical to helping eastern states reach attainment, in particular. In addition, states also must consider controls on localized sources, including stationary, area, and mobile sources. National and regional rules provide essential assistance to states attainment efforts. However, some states will still have to institute a wide variety of local controls in order to reach attainment. The close alignment of the submittal dates for PM2.5 and ozone SIPs is both a blessing and a curse for states: while it requires enormous effort on two fronts simultaneously, the dual submittal process may allow states to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their SIPs by considering multipollutant impacts (i.e., measures that impact both NOx and PM, such as mobile source controls) and creating control measures that address more than one pollutant. In addition, some of the changes to the development and Figure 3. Major milestones for ozone and PM2.5 NAAQS. april 2005 em 11

5 Table 2. National, regional, and local measures to help states reach attainment. Programs by Program Type Program Status National/Regional Emissions Cap-and-Trade Programs NO x SIP Call Finalized 1998 Clear Skies Act 2003, 2005 Legislation under consideration Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) Finalized 2005 Federal Rules for Stationary Sources Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) Issued 96 standards covering 174 source categories New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) Issued for 75 source categories Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) Proposed 2004 Federal Rules for Mobile Sources Clean Diesel Truck and Bus Rule Finalized 2000 Tier 2 Motor Vehicle Emissions Standards Finalized 2002 Clean Air Nonroad Diesel Emissions Rule Finalized 2004 Federally Required Controls in Nonattainment Areas Conformity, including Transportation Conformity New Source Review (NSR) CAA requirement CAA requirement Federal Rules Supporting Local Control Measures Ozone Implementation Rule Phase I Finalized 2004 Ozone Implementation Rule Phase II Proposed 2003 PM 2.5 Implementation Rule Proposal pending Voluntary Programs and Initiatives (Examples) Diesel Engine Retrofit Program Clean School Bus USA Energy Efficiency/Renewable Energy Projects (e.g., Heat Island Reduction Initiative) Anti-Idling Programs (e.g., Truck Stop Electrification) Residential Wood Smoke Emissions Reduction Initiative processing of SIPs suggested by the Clean Air Act Advisory Committee s Air Quality Management Workgroup, in response to the National Research Council s Report (see accompanying article on page 16), may aid states as they work toward SIP development for ozone and PM 2.5. As cornerstones of the effort to reduce transported pollution, EPA has developed a series of regional programs to help control NO x and sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) emissions, which are major precursors to ozone and PM formation. These efforts include the NO x SIP call and the additional controls that have been proposed under President Bush s Clear Skies Initiative and EPA s Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR). Following in the footsteps of the Acid Rain Program, which was created under Title IV of the CAA Amendments of 1990, the NO x SIP call was put into place in the late 1990s as the first measure designed specifically to help states attain the ozone NAAQS by reducing the regional transport of pollutants. This rule reduces summertime NO x emissions from major stationary sources in 19 eastern states and the District of Columbia by approximately 900,000 tons, starting in In addition to helping reduce ozone pollution, the NO x SIP call and the Acid Rain Program have both provided collateral benefits in the form of fine particle reductions. Building on the success of the Acid Rain Program, the proposed Clear Skies legislation, originally introduced in 2003, would accomplish major SO 2 and NO x emissions reductions, as well as imposing caps on mercury emissions. One of the foundations of this legislation is to address regional transport that affects fine particle and ozone attainment. Like the NO x SIP Call, Clear Skies programs would be market-based, involving interstate trading of SO 2 and NO x emissions. Since it is unclear whether Congress will enact Clear Skies or other legislative programs to address transport, EPA promulgated CAIR on March 10, This rule is expected to significantly reduce emissions of SO 2 and NO x from electric utilities. The final rule, which focuses on pollution in 28 eastern states, will reduce emissions of NO x by 53% from 2003 levels by 2009 and 61% from 2003 levels by Similarly, the rule will reduce SO 2 emissions by 57% from 2003 levels by 2015, and 73% from 2003 levels at full implementation. Under CAIR, states must reduce emissions by imposing controls on sources of SO 2 and NO x. Sources may comply either by reducing their emissions or by buying allowances from other sources via a trading program set up under the rule. CAIR is expected to bring many areas into attainment with both the fine particle and ozone standards. Preliminary EPA modeling shows 91% of ozone nonattainment areas and 87% of PM 2.5 nonattainment areas in the eastern United States coming into attainment by Federal standards on major stationary sources, such as Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standards and New Source Performance Standards (NSPS), may also serve to reduce both PM and ozone precursors. MACT standards, which are issued by EPA for specific source categories to control toxic air pollutants, including a wide range of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particles, may be particularly important. States may also be obligated to install additional controls on older facilities under the Regional Haze Rule, which was issued in The haze rule s Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) requirements, which will mandate significant emissions reductions from 26 categories of stationary sources built between 1962 and 1977, are designed to control pollutants that affect visibility in Class I areas (e.g., U.S. national parks). Because some of these same 12 em april 2005

6 pollutants (e.g., sulfates, nitrates, organic carbon, smoke, soil dust) also contribute to PM2.5, reductions achieved through BART requirements may have a substantial impact on air quality in PM2.5 nonattainment areas near Class I areas. Implementation of BART requirements has been delayed due to a May 2002 decision in which the D.C. Circuit Court ordered EPA to clarify its BART guidelines.12 The revised BART rule is scheduled to be finalized by EPA later this month. In addition to the programs controlling regional NOx, toxic air pollutants, and/or SO2 emissions already described, EPA has adopted a number of national rules that will help states reach attainment under the new 8-hr ozone and PM2.5 NAAQS. Most significant are new mobile source rules, which are designed to reduce VOCs, NOx, and other precursors to ozone and PM from different engine types. New standards for passenger cars and light trucks, called Tier 2 Motor Vehicle Emissions Standards, were finalized in February The Tier 2 standards imposed more stringent tailpipe emissions standards and fuel requirements on new fleets nationwide. Phase-in of restrictions on sulfur in gasoline (a major particulate precursor) began in 2005; phase-in of tailpipe controls (i.e., NOx controls) will begin in In addition, two new clean air diesel rules the Clean Air Nonroad Diesel Emissions Rule and the Clean Diesel Truck and Bus Rule will phase in ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuels for trucks, buses, and offroad and nonroad vehicles (e.g., farm vehicles, construction equipment) beginning in Also, new engine standards for diesel engines will begin to take effect in All of these initiatives will significantly improve air quality in the United States by reducing toxic air pollutants, NOx, sulfur, and particulates, and will help a large number of nonattainment areas reach attainment by , as required by the new PM2.5 and ozone NAAQS. ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE TO HELP STATES REACH ATTAINMENT While the regional- and national-level initiatives already described will do much to assist states in their efforts to reach attainment, a number of states will need to employ local control measures. Transportation conformity requires coordination of transportation and air quality planning to minimize the impact of transportation growth on an area s long-term attainment status. Transportation plans and projects, such as new highway construction, are reviewed to ensure that the area is able to meet its air quality targets. Transportation conformity requirements become effective one year after nonattainment designations for a new standard. Areas designated as nonattainment must also subject major stationary sources to New Guideline on Air Quality Models: Applications and FLAG Developments An A&WMA Specialty Conference This international symposium will serve as a technical forum on revisions to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency s Guideline on Air Quality Models, which is required for use in the preparation of state implementation plans, federal construction permits, and many state permits. Special emphasis will be placed on the applications of the Federal Land Managers Guidance (FLAG) on air quality model use for Air Quality Related Values (AQRV). Courses on CALPUFF, AERMOD and PRIME will precede the Conference. EPA has adopted CALPUFF and AERMOD (with PRIME) as the refined models for most applications and has simultaneously proposed the deletion of ISC representing a considerable change in modeling procedures. Visit www. for more information. October 26-28, 2005 Denver, CO april 2005 em 13

7 REFERENCES 1. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, Final Rule; 62 Fed. Regist , July 18, 1997; National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter, Final Rule; 62 Fed. Regist , July 18, Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants; EPA/ 600/AP-93/004aF-cF. 3v; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, NC, 1996; PB , PB , and PB ; available online at See also Ozone and Your Patients Health: Training for Health Care Providers at O3healthtraining. 3. Air Quality Criteria for Particulate Matter; EPA/600/P-99/002a,bF; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, NC, October U.S.C.A. Section U.S.C.A. Sections American Trucking Association vs. EPA, 175 F. 3d American Trucking Association vs. EPA, 121 S. Ct See American Trucking Association vs. EPA, 283 F. 3d U.S.C.A. Sections f. 10. See Ozone Transport Assessment Group (OTAG) Technical Supporting Document at naaqs/ozone/rto/otag/finalrpt/. 11. See Air Emissions Trends Continued Progress Through 2003 at econ-emissions.html. 12. American Corn Growers et al. vs. EPA, 291 F. 3d Air Quality Designations and Classifications for the 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards, Final Rule; 69 Fed. Regist Improving Air Quality with Economic Incentive Programs; EPA 452-R ; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington DC, January Guidance for Quantifying and Using Long Duration Switch Yard Locomotive Idling Emission Reductions in State Implementation Plans; EPA 420-B ; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington DC, January 2004; Guidance for Quantifying and Using Long Duration Truck Idling Emission Reductions in State Implementation Plans and Transportation Conformity; EPA 420-B ; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington DC, January Incorporating Emerging and Voluntary Measures in a State Implementation Plan (SIP); U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation, Washington, DC, September Guidance on State Implementation Plan (SIP) Credits for Emission Reductions from Electric-Sector Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Measures; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation, Washington, DC, August 2004; Guidance on Incorporating Voluntary Mobile Source Emission Reduction Programs in State Implementation Plans (SIPs). Memorandum from Richard D. Wilson, Acting Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Air and Radiation, to EPA Regional Administrators, October 24, Source Review (NSR). NSR is a permitting program designed to ensure that new or modified sources do not counteract progress toward attainment. New sources (or sources undergoing major modifications) located in a nonattainment area must install state-of-the-art pollution controls and must offset their pollution contribution by eliminating emissions from other sources in the same area. EPA is also developing specific rules designed to clarify states local obligations under the new ozone and PM 2.5 NAAQS. First, EPA has been working to develop detailed implementation rules to clarify its expectations about how states should reach attainment. Phase I of the 8-hr ozone implementation rule was published in the Federal Register on April 30, 2004, at the same time the nonattainment designations for 8-hr ozone were finalized. 13 The Phase I rule addresses the relationship of the 1-hr ozone standard to the 8-hr standard, outlines the plans for revocation of the 1-hr standard, describes how the CAA classification provisions for Subpart 2 areas will apply under the 8-hr standard, lays out a schedule of attainment dates for areas depending on whether they are subject to Subpart 1 or Subpart 2, outlines mandatory and discretionary control obligations, describes anti-backsliding provisions to protect progress made under the 1-hr standard, and discusses transportation and general conformity. Although the ozone implementation rule was proposed in June 2003, due to the complexity of the rule and the extensive public comments received, EPA has not yet issued the final Phase II rule but expects to do so later this spring. The Phase II rule covers the remaining implementation elements not covered in Phase I, including flexibility regarding mandatory measures, interstate transport issues, modeling and attainment demonstration requirements, reasonable further progress requirements, technology and control measure requirements (RACT/RACM), and NSR under the 8-hr standard. Together, the Phase I and Phase II ozone rules will help states understand what their obligations are in nonattainment areas, and assist them in developing plans to reach attainment. EPA has also invested significant resources in designing a PM 2.5 implementation rule to provide more information and greater certainty about what steps will be necessary to reach attainment with the PM 2.5 standard. EPA expects to propose the PM 2.5 implementation rule later this spring. The rule will cover topics such as attainment dates, reasonable further progress obligations, NSR EPA has also invested significant resources in designing an implementation rule to provide more information and greater certainty about what steps will be necessary to reach attainment with the PM 2.5 standard. requirements, RACT/RACM requirements, and individual source monitoring requirements. After review and public comment, the rule will be finalized, most likely in early States will have until April 2008 to submit their SIPs after the implementation rule is issued. In addition to these rules, EPA has offered guidance on a number of voluntary programs and initiatives, which states can employ to meet the standards. In certain limited situations, states were given some flexibility in meeting the 8-hr ozone standards through the Early Action Compacts (EACs). EACs are agreements between EPA, states, and local areas in which the state and local area have agreed to start reducing ozone precursor emissions in nonattainment areas at least two years earlier than is required by the CAA. In exchange, EPA has agreed to defer specific requirements normally associated with a nonattainment designation. There are currently 12 EAC areas that have deferred nonattainment designations. EPA is also supporting the development of voluntary and innovative programs that can be useful in reducing SO 2, VOC, NO x, and direct particle emissions. In January 2001, EPA issued guidance on Improving Air Quality with 14 em april 2005

8 Don t miss Lydia Wegman at A&WMA s 98th Annual Conference & Exhibition in June. Wegman will provide a detailed presentation on the new incentive-based regulatory strategies pertaining to ozone, fine particulate matter, and regional haze during one of the conference plenary sessions. For more information about the 2005 Annual Conference Technical Program, visit the Annual Conference Web site at Economic Incentive Programs (commonly referred to as the Economic Incentive Program or EIP), which provides information on developing and implementing nontraditional control strategies.14 This umbrella program supports a wide variety of voluntary and innovative initiatives that states can use to improve their air quality. There are several voluntary mobile source programs that offer substantial PM and ozone reductions in some local areas like the Diesel Engine Retrofit program, which is instituted voluntarily by communities and states across the nation. Similarly, the Clean School Bus USA program, which retrofits school buses with PM filters, will significantly reduce diesel PM emissions from these vehicles. Other voluntary programs aimed at diesel engines, such as truck-stop electrification and anti-idling measures, may also result in reduced ozone and PM2.5 pollution.15 In September 2004, EPA finalized guidance for stationary sources entitled Incorporating Emerging and Voluntary Measures in a SIP, which allows up to a 6% SIP credit for voluntary and emerging control measures that are difficult to quantify.16 EPA has also issued other SIP credit guidance documents (e.g., for energy efficiency and renewable energy, and mobile sources) and is working on new guidance for other categories, such as woodstoves.17 CONCLUSIONS In order to attain the new 8-hr ozone and PM2.5 NAAQS, states must take swift and determined action. Fortunately, they will be greatly assisted in their efforts by many of the national and/or regional programs already initiated by EPA. The NOx SIP Call, CAIR, BART, and multiple mobile source rules will provide a substantial boost to states in developing their control plans. For many regions of the country, the regional/national program options will provide such effective control of key air pollutants that no additional controls will be needed at the local level. For areas with more severe air quality problems, additional controls at the local or subregional level will be critical to meeting the NAAQS. For this reason, states also are relying on EPA to issue timely regulations and guidance, including the Phase II implementation rule for ozone and the PM2.5 implementation rule, to provide enhanced technical tools for developing alternative control approaches at the local level, and to encourage the development and adoption of voluntary and innovative control measures. em 1/2 page Vert Ad A&WMA International Conference on Environmental Nuisances: Noise, Odour, and Fugitive Dust Their importance and what s being done about them May 9-11, 2005 Hilton Toronto Airport Mississauga, Ontario, Canada Population and traffic density, industrial activity, urban growth, and other activities are rapidly bringing into focus the question of Environmental Nuisances. This conference will look at the broad issues concerning environmental nuisances: their technical and scientific causes, as well as case studies and solutions. The twoday conference will be structured as follows: One half-day plenary on environmental nuisance issues Two half-days of parallel sessions on each of noise, odour, and fugitive dust A final one half-day plenary dealing with management issues and stakeholder participation Visit www. for more information. april 2005 em 15