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EPA Changes PM 2.5 Designations for Counties in Indiana and Ohio

04/07/2005 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is changing the air quality attainment designation for two Indiana and five Ohio counties.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is changing the air quality attainment designation for two Indiana and five Ohio counties.

EPA’s PM 2.5 Standard

EPA’s PM 2.5 standard is designed to protect the public from exposure to tiny particles that are 2.5 microns or smaller, or about 1/30th the size of a human hair.

Fine particles have been associated with a range of serious adverse health effects, including aggravation of lung disease, asthma attacks and heart problems.

EPA believes that airborne fine particles cause tens of thousands of premature deaths across the United States each year.

In addition, exposure to fine particles results in tens of thousands of hospitalizations as well as millions of sick days and doctor visits.

The change in designation was made possible when the counties began to meet a new, health-based outdoor air quality standard for fine particles (soot). Historical air monitoring data, sampled over the period from 2002 through 2004, had shown that the counties had not previously met the standard.

EPA announced last December that 14 Indiana counties and parts of five other counties in the state did not meet the standard. The Agency said 28 Ohio counties and parts of four other counties in the state did not meet the standard. At the time of these announcements, EPA made April 5 the date when the designations would become final, thus giving states time to submit quality-assured data for counties that were close to meeting the standard.

Data for the Elkhart-South Bend, Ind., and Toledo and Youngstown, Ohio, areas show that these areas are now meeting the standard. Counties affected include Elkhart and St. Joseph, Ind., and Lucas, Wood, Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull, Ohio. Therefore, EPA is taking action to provide that nonattainment designations for these areas will not take effect and instead these areas will be designated attainment. EPA will also revise the designation for Delaware County in Indiana from unclassifiable to attainment of the standard.