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TODAY'S ACTION
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is revising
its Air Quality Index to enhance the public's understanding
of air pollution across the nation. Previously known
as the Pollutant Standards Index, this uniform air
quality index is used by state and local agencies
for reporting on daily air quality to the public.
The Index provides general information to the public
about air quality and associated health effects .
- EPA is revising the Index to update health messages
for carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide.
It will also reflect updated health information considered
in the Agency's recent reviews of the air quality
standards for ground-level ozone (smog) and particulate
matter. The revised Index will ensure consistency
between current science on the health effects of all
of these air pollutants and the reporting of this
air quality and health information to the public.
- EPA developed the revised Index in close partnership
with health and public affairs experts in state and
local agencies.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THE REVISIONS?
- Today's action enhances the public's understanding
of the nation's air quality by providing clear and
consistent information regarding the health effects
of several common air pollutants.
- The revised Index provides more accurate and specific
information on health risks associated with exposure
to air pollution. This, in turn, will help individuals
make informed decisions regarding actions to avoid
or reduce their exposure to these pollutants.
- The revised Index can also serve as a basis for
programs that encourage the public to take action
to reduce air pollution on days when levels are projected
to be of concern to local communities.
- A new national Internet Web site, AIRNow, which
includes "real time" air quality data and
forecasts of summertime smog levels in many states,
uses the Index categories, colors and descriptors
to communicate information about air quality.
BACKGROUND
- Under the Clean Air Act, EPA is required to establish a nationally
uniform air quality index for the reporting of air quality. In
1976, EPA established this index, then called the Pollutant Standards
Index, for use by state and local communities across the country.
- The Index provides information on pollutant concentrations for
ground-level ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur
dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. The Index is "normalized"
across pollutants so that an Index value of 100 represents the
level of health protection associated with the health-based standard
for each pollutant and an Index value of 500 represents the significant
harm level.
- This Index has been adopted internationally and is used around
the world to provide the public with information on air pollutants.
- On July 18, 1997, EPA revised the ozone and particulate matter
standards, in light of a comprehensive review of new scientific
evidence. EPA replaced the 1-hour ozone standard with an 8-hour
ozone standard, and supplemented the particulate matter standard
with 24-hour and annual standards for fine particulate matter.
- The revised Index was developed through extensive coordination
with public information, health, and air quality experts from
state and local agencies, as well as input from the general public
through EPA-sponsored focus groups. For example, EPA sponsored
eight focus groups in major U.S. cities to help evaluate how to
most effectively communicate air quality and health effects information.
Numerous state and local agencies and associations also participated
through workshops to provide comment on the Index revisions.
WHAT ARE THE SPECIFIC REVISIONS TO THE INDEX?
- EPA is changing the name of the Pollutant Standards
Index to the Air Quality Index.
- The revised Index adds an additional air quality
category just above the level of the standard. Previously,
Index values from 101 - 200 were characterized "unhealthful."
The revised Index establishes a category from 101
-150 characterized as "unhealthy for sensitive
groups," and a category of 151 - 200 as "unhealthy."
- When air quality is "unhealthy for sensitive
groups", EPA has added a corresponding requirement
to report a pollutant-specific statement indicating
what specific groups in the population are most at
risk. For example, when the Index is above 100 for
ozone the AQI report will contain the statement "Children
and people with asthma are the groups most at risk."
- To the extent that state and local agencies use
colors to communicate Index values, specific colors
are required. For instance, any agency that chooses
to use colors to communicate such values must represent
the Index values of 151 - 200 as "red".
Examples of the use of color in Index reporting include
the color bars that appear in many newspapers, and
the color contours of the Ozone Map.
- The revised Index includes modifications to the
ozone sub-index and a new sub-index for fine particulate
matter. These changes to the Index are based on health
effects information from the review of the ozone and
particulate matter standards, as well as information
and feedback provided by state and local agencies
and the public. The modifications also reflect the
addition of the new air quality category "unhealthy
for sensitive groups."
- The revised Index includes changes to the sub-indices
for ozone, inhalable particulate matter (PM10), carbon
monoxide and sulfur dioxide to reflect the addition
of the new air quality category of "unhealthy
for sensitive groups."
- This action requires all Metropolitan Statistical
Areas with populations greater than 350,000 to report
the Index. Previously, urbanized areas with populations
greater than 200,000 were required to report.
WHO WILL BE AFFECTED BY THESE REVISIONS?
- The revised Index benefits the
general public by providing clear and consistent information
regarding air quality and associated health risks.
- The revised Index will not impose new burdens on
state and local agencies.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
- Interested parties can download the final decision
on the Index from EPA's World Wide Web site on the
Internet under "recent actions" at the following
address: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg. For
further information about the proposal, contact Susan
Stone (919 541-1146) or Terence Fitz-Simons (919 541-0889)
of EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
- To read ozone forecasts and to see maps showing
real-time ozone animations, go to the AIRNow web site
at http://www.epa.gov/airnow. Each day's animation
is available by early afternoon. Next-day forecasts
generally are available after 4:15 p.m.
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