News Update
DEP: Florida now meets all ambient air quality standards
Staff report
Enviro-Net
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection announced that the state now meets all of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards statewide, the culmination of several years of collaborative efforts between DEP, EPA and industry to reduce emissions and improve air quality.
These efforts have not only resulted in Florida having the cleanest air on record, but to its being the most populous state in the country to meet the federal standards, according to a DEP press release.
Under the Clean Air Act, EPA is required to set National Ambient Air Quality Standards for six pollutants based on health criteria: carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particulate matter and sulfur dioxide. EPA is also required to review those standards and strengthen them, if necessary, to protect and prioritize public health.
When new, more stringent NAAQS are promulgated, some areas meeting the previous NAAQS may not be attaining the new standard. In such cases, states are required to design and implement a solution that will bring any nonattainment areas back into attainment. Florida has completed this process for four nonattainment areas over the last 18 months and is now fully within the NAAQS attainment standards statewide.
Florida's air quality monitoring network includes more than 211 monitors at 99 sites and provides scientists with the data needed to ensure Florida's air quality is in compliance with federal standards. The department's Spatial Air Quality System allows everyone to access updated air quality data as reported by the statewide network.