8-Hour Ozone Designation Process

Ozone Basics | The Ozone Designation Process | Stakeholder Involvement |
Meetings | Minutes | Data | Guides and Technical Documents |
Timeline for Final Designation

Background

The Clean Air Act requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to set National Ambient Air Quality Standards for pollutants considered harmful to public health and the environment. EPA recently reviewed the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone and proposed to strengthen them to a more protective level. The new ozone standard is an 8-hour average concentration of 75 parts per billion. Based on this revised standard, all states must evaluate areas for compliance with the ozone standard. The outcome of the designation process will be a recommended list of counties in the state that currently monitor or are contributing to 8-hour ozone violations.

Ozone Basics

Ozone is a primary pollutant of concern in Kansas. Air quality measured against the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), shows that areas across the state are not yet attaining this new standard. If an area monitors or contributes to violations of the ozone standard, actions must be taken to help prevent the emissions that contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone

Similar to the weather in Kansas, the quality of the air can change from day to day. In order to help citizens understand the quality of the air on a day to day basis, the KDHE provides near real-time monitoring data from the Kansas Air Quality Monitoring Network.

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The Ozone Designation Process

The process for designating nonattainment area boundaries allows the department to make a recommendation to EPA, but only EPA has the authority to make the final decision. Guide to 8-Hour Ozone Designation Process

The bureau is evaluating areas of the state that are monitoring violations of the ozone standard and/or are contributing to violations. In previous ozone designations, the bureau was asked to consider multiple factors as they developed their designation recommendations. For more information see the previous Boundary Guidance on Air Quality Designations provided by EPA.

It is important to note that ozone air quality data obtained from monitoring is only one factor used in determining which counties will be part of a nonattainment area under the new standard. The table below lists the 11 criteria used in the designation process.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Ozone Designation Criteria
Emissions and Air Quality in Adjacent Areas	Ozone Monitoring Data	Population Density and Commercial Development in Adjacent Areas
Traffic and Commuting Patterns	Mountains or Other Air Basin Boundaries	Extent, Pattern, and Rate of Growth for an Area
Location and Size of Emission Sources	Weather and Transport Patterns	Enforceable Regional Emission Reductions Strategies
Jurisdictional Boundaries		Level of Control of Emission Sources

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Stakeholder Involvement

The department is hosting a series of public meetings across the state to discuss the designation process for the revised ozone standard. County officials, local government representatives and economic development staff are encouraged to attend. A version of the invitation letter below was sent to various county representatives. Also, see the excel database for a list of who was invited.

• Kansas City Letter of Invitation

• Wichita Letter of Invitation

• List of Invitees

County-specific information pertaining to economic, employment and population growth will be gathered to assist the department in making more-informed decisions about which counties will be recommended for an ozone nonattainment designation. To submit information for your area, please choose a link below.

• Kansas City Area Stakeholder Input: Submit information about the ozone designation process. Examples: economic, employment and population growth information.

• Wichita Area Stakeholder Input: Submit information about the ozone designation process. Examples: economic, employment and population growth information.

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Future Meetings

Minutes

Kansas City Meeting November 6, 2008

• Kansas City November 2008 Meeting Summary

• Kansas City November 2008 Meeting Presentation

Kansas City Meeting August 12, 2008

• Kansas City August 2008 Meeting Summary

• Kansas City August 2008 Meeting Presentation

Kansas City Meeting June 12, 2008

• Kansas City Meeting Summary

• Kansas City Meeting Presentation

• Kansas City Air Monitoring Map

Wichita Meeting September 4, 2008

• Wichita September 2008 Meeting Summary

• Wichita September 2008 Meeting Presentation

Wichita Meeting June 26, 2008

• Wichita Meeting Summary,  Video Link

• Wichita Meeting Presentations: Part 1,  Part 2

• Wichita Air Monitoring Map

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Data

• Kansas City Data

• Wichita Data

Guides and Technical Documents

• What You Can Do To Improve Air Quality

• 2003 Eight-Hour Ozone Boundary Designation (historical information pertaining to previous ozone designation)

Timeline for Final Ozone Designations

Milestone	Date
EPA issues final ozone standard.	March 2008
States submit recommendations for areas to be designated attainment and nonattainment.	March 2009
EPA will make final designations of attainment and nonattainment areas. Those designations would become effective 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.	March 2010
State Implementation Plans, outlining how states will reduce pollution to meet the standards, will be due to EPA (three years after designations).	2013
States will be required to meet the standard, with deadlines depending on the severity of the problem.	2013-2030

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