![[logo] US EPA](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081110225930im_/http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
OAR Accomplishments
The Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) develops national programs, technical policies, and regulations for controlling air pollution and radiation exposure. Read more about the work we do.
Air Quality
- In March 2008, EPA issued the most stringent 8-hour standard ever for ozone, revising the standards for the first time in more than a decade.
- On September 21, 2006, EPA issued the Agency’s most protective suite of national air quality standards for particle pollution ever.
- Since 2005, EPA’s Great American Wood Stove Changeout has supported more than 25 changeout campaigns, which have achieved an estimated $16 million per year of health benefits.
- EPA's Outdoor Wood-fired Hydronic Heaters Voluntary Program has enlisted 18 industry partners who have agreed to develop and distribute cleaner, more efficient outdoor wood-fired hydronic heaters.
- EPA's EnviroFlash reaches several thousand subscribers in 145 cities in 33 states.
Tribal
- In 2007, EPA approved its first two tribal implementation plans to regulate air quality in Indian country.
- EPA is also providing resources and technical assistance to more than 120 Tribes to track and improve air quality in their areas.
- EPA is helping tribes take advantage of cutting edge renewable technology.
Stationary Sources
- In 2007 the NOx Budget Trading Program celebrated a 74 percent reduction in NOx emissions from 1990.
- EPA’s Acid Rain Program has reduced SO2 emissions by more than 6.3 million tons from 1990 levels.
- In 2006, annual SO2 emissions from the Acid Rain Program fell sharply, with reductions of 830,000 tons from 2005 levels.
- The Acid Rain Program has reduced wet sulfate deposition 35 percent in the Northeast.
- EPA has issued 96 standards for 174 different types of industrial sources of air toxics.
- EPA reduced perchloroethylene emissions in the dry cleaning industry by mandating the installation of new emissions reduction technology.
- Since 1993, perchloroethylene emissions have been reduced by 15,000 tons/year.
Mobile Sources
- Over the past decade, EPA has finalized and implemented cost-effective regulations that are transforming the diesel engine.
- EPA diesel engine regulations are estimated to prevent 25,000 premature deaths and almost 20,000 hospitalizations annually by 2030.
- EPA re-designed vehicle window stickers to give the most accurate fuel economy estimate.
- Through three-year commitments SmartWay partners save about 600 million gallons of diesel fuel -- a cost benefit of almost $2 billion!
- Through the efforts of Clean School Bus USA, more than 2 million students across the country are riding on cleaner buses.
- In 2006, EPA and UPS partnered to develop two UPS trucks that utilize EPA-patented hydraulic hybrid technology to improve fuel efficiency by 60-70 percent.
- In April 2008, EPA announced the availability of $50 million in grant funding for projects aimed at reducing emissions from diesel engines.
Energy Star
- 2007 was the most successful year to date for the ENERGY STAR program.
- In 2007 Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, prevented greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the annual emissions from 27 million vehicles.
- In 2007 Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved more than $16 billion on their energy bills.
- Since 2000, utility bill savings and greenhouse gas savings have more than doubled due to ENERGY STAR.
- ENERGY STAR has helped reduce electricity use by about 5 percent
- Awareness of the government’s ENERGY STAR program has grown from 40% five years ago to over 70% today nationwide.
- To date, Americans have purchased more than 2.5 billion ENERGY STAR qualified products.
- Over 12,000 organizations partner with EPA in the ENERGY STAR
Climate Leaders
- Since its launch, more than 160 businesses have partnered with EPA in the Climate Leaders program.
- EPA’s Climate Leaders Program is currently the largest corporate greenhouse gas goal-setting program in the United States.
- EPA’s Climate Leaders Program has partners located in all 50 states representing ten percent of U.S. gross domestic product.
Green Power Partnership
- More than 850 organizations currently partner with EPA as Green Power partners.
- Together, Green Power partner-organizations are purchasing more than 13 billion kilowatt-hours of green power annually.
- Green Power Partners include a wide variety of leading organizations such as Fortune 500, small and medium sized businesses, local, state and federal governments, as well as colleges and universities.
Domestic Methane Programs
- Since 1993, EPA has collaborated with partners to implement voluntary programs that promote the recovery and use of methane.
- Today, total U.S. methane emissions are 11 percent lower than emissions in 1990.
Methane to Markets
- In 2004, the United States and 13 other countries launched the Methane to Markets Partnership to advance the use of methane as a clean energy source.
- The Methane to Markets Partnership helps advance methane recovery projects in four key sectors: coal mining, oil and gas systems, animal waste management, and landfills.
- The US component of the Methane to Markets global program includes 25 partner governments and over 700 private sector and other non-governmental organizations.
- The United States is proud to be a leader in Methane to Markets program and has invested over $18 million to advance project development.
Climate Change
- In 2007, EPA's climate change Web site had more than 5.5 million visitors from some 200 countries.
- In 2007, EPA's climate change Web site was among the highest-rated pages on top internet search tools.
- Last year, EPA published a series of "What You Can Do" fact sheets on how people can combat climate change at home, work, school, and on the road.
SunWise
- EPA's SunWise is the most widely-used environmental and health education program in the country.
- EPA estimates that SunWise teaching in schools through 2007 will prevent 15 deaths and more than 3,000 cases of skin cancer.
Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) Program
- In October 2006, EPA launched the Responsible Appliance Disposal Program, which now includes 13 utility and retail partners.
- Responsible Appliance Disposal Program partners agree to responsibly dispose of old refrigerant-containing appliances using the best environmental practices available.
- Each year, the work of the Responsible Appliance Disposal Program results in the proper disposal of more than 1 million residential refrigerators and freezers.
GreenChill
- Since its launch in November 2007, EPA’s GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership has nearly tripled its membership.
- EPA’s GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership works to reduce supermarkets’ emissions of greenhouse gasses.
- EPA’s GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership initiatives could save the supermarket industry almost $30 million in operating expenses annually.
Radiation and Indoor Air
- For the 2008 National Radon Action Month, more than 703 activities and events were conducted by EPA and its radon partners in the public and private sectors.
- Since the of EPA's Radon Program creation in 1986 over 1.5 million new homes have been built radon resistant.
- EPA’s Tools for Schools Program helps schools identify, resolve, and prevent indoor air quality problems using low and no-cost measures.
- 86 percent of the nation’s indoor air quality management programs are based on EPA's Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Program.
- Since its launch in 2002, the Partnership for Clean Indoor Air has grown to include more than 170 public and private organizations.
- To date, partners have reduced the exposure of 11 million people to harmful indoor air pollutants.
- In 2007, $50 million in media donations supported the childhood asthma campaign, which resulted in millions of Americans learning about ways to prevent asthma attacks.
- In 2007, $20 million in media donations supported Build Green and Radon campaigns that educated Americans about ways to prevent lung cancer and improve indoor air quality.
