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History of Air
Quality Problems in the DC Area
Air quality in the DC Region
is regulated by the national Clean Air Act. The act was passed in 1970 to protect
public health. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the federal organization
responsible for regulating air quality in our region (Region III). EPA Region
III and its partner state pollution control agencies are responsible for regulating
more than 21,000 air pollution sources in our region. Many other sources cannot
be regulated.
The DC Area violating
the Clean Air Act
Under the 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act, the Washington area was given
a deadline of 1999 to meet air quality (ozone) standards, and was directed to
submit a plan to EPA by 1994 showing how this would be achieved. However, the
region did not submit a plan until 1998, and that plan lacked critical requirements
such as contingency measures that would kick in if the region failed to meet the
deadline.
The region missed the 1999
deadline, and EPA gave a six-year extension without downgrading the region to
"severe" air quality status as required. Sierra Club sued the EPA, and
in 2002 a federal court ruled that the EPA's failure to downgrade the region's
air quality rating was illegal, and that other aspects of the clean air plan were
inadequate. In early 2003, EPA reclassified the Washington area as"severe"
and required the states to submit a new plan.
Dangerous Air Quality Continues
In order to advise the public of daily air quality, a code system was created
ranging from green (to indicate healthy conditions) to red (unhealthy) and purple
(severely unhealthy). Throughout the years of delay and legal fights surrounding
air quality in the region, we have continued to have Code Red and Code Purple
days, as well as asthma attacks and other respiratory ailments.
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Quality page
