SIP, or State Implementation Plans,
are plans for each state that identify how that state will attain or maintain
the primary and secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) as
mentioned in the Clean Air Act. SIPs packages and revisions are prepared and
submitted to the U.S. EPA to modify, revise, or update existing plans. Often
these documents are related for public comment and the Ohio EPA will accept
comments at a public forum; this information is found in major newspapers and
the Ohio EPA website.
There are six criteria air
pollutants: Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2),
Particulate Matter (PM), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Ozone (O3) and Lead
(PB). As of 2008, there is an eight-hour standard of 0.075 parts per million (ppm)
for ozone; the 2012 annual standard for particulate matter is 12.0 micrograms
per cubic meter of air (μg/m3); the 2010 one-hour primary NO2
standard is 100 parts per billion (ppb); the 2010 one-hour primary standard of
75 parts per billion (ppb); the 2008 standard for lead is 0.15 micrograms per
cubic meter of air (μg/m3).
For a state to be in nonattainment,
there has to have been a failure to meet NAAQS standards. Therefore, attainment
means that a state has met NAAQS standards. The entire state of Ohio is in
attainment for particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide. There
are portions of Ohio that are in nonattainment for ozone, sulfur dioxide, and
lead.
Ohio has an air monitoring section
that has several goals: to determine compliance with the ambient air quality
standards; provide real-time monitoring of air pollution episodes; provide data
for trend analyses; regulation evaluation and planning; and provide daily
information to the public concerning the quality of the air in high population
areas, near major emission sources, and in rural areas. There are agencies in
Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Southwest Ohio, Dayton, Portsmouth, Toledo, Lake
County, and Mahoning-Trumbull. Various locations in these cities have sites
that measure particular pollutants for that area. This includes rural, urban,
and agricultural settings for an unbiased detection. All sites have monitoring
objectives and spatial scales and the sites are dispersed on land used for
commercial and industrial purposes. All of the plans in the air monitoring plan
are subject to approval by the U.S. EPA.
Ohio’s carbon monoxide air
monitoring sites are located in Akron, Canton, Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati,
Mentor, Dayton, New Paris, and Warrensville Hts. Ohio’s lead/metals air
monitoring sites are located in Canton, Columbus, Cleveland, Warrensville Hts.,
Middletown, Cincinnati, Hubbard, East Liverpool, Delta, Marion, Moraine, and
Bellfontaine. Ohio’s nitrogen dioxide air monitoring sites are located in
Columbus, Cleveland, Warrensville Hts., and Cincinnati. Ohio’s particulate
matter air monitoring sites are located in Columbus, Cleveland, Newburgh Hts.,
Brookpark, Middletown, Cincinnati, Lockland, Fairport, Youngstown, Warren,
Sheffield, East Liverpool, Ironton, Portsmouth, Yellow Springs, Moraine, New
Paris, Brilliant, and Steubenville. Ohio’s ozone air monitoring sites are
located in Lafayette Twp., Franklin Twp., Akron, Canton, Brewster, Alliance,
Delaware, New Albany, Columbus, Centerburg, Heath, London, Cleveland, Berea,
Mayfield Hts., Hamilton, Batavia, Cincinnati, Cleves, Lebanon, Munson,
Eastlake, Painesville, Youngstown, Kinsman, Vienna, Conneaut, Sheffield, Lima,
Bowling Green, Wilgus, Ironton, Springfield, Enon, Xenia, Castown, Dayton, New
Paris, Steubenville, Marietta, Wilmington, Toledo, Waterville, and Curtice.
Ohio’s sulfur dioxide air monitoring sites are located in Akron, Columbus,
Cleveland, Newburgh Hts., Middletown, Cleves, Cincinnati, Eastlake,
Painseville, Youngstown, Conneaut, East Liverpool, Lima, West Union, Ironton,
Portsmouth, Enon, New Paris, Shadyside, Steubenville, Pomeroy, Hackney, and
Toledo.
