The Clean Air Act, which was last amended in 1990, requires the USEPA to set National Ambient Air Quality Standards (40 CFR part 50) for pollutants considered harmful to public health and the environment. The Clean Air Act identifies two types of national ambient air quality standards:
Primary standards provide public health protection, including protecting the health of “sensitive” populations such as asthmatics, children, and the elderly.
Secondary standards provide public welfare protection, including protection against decreased visibility and damage to animals, crops, vegetation, and buildings.
The EPA has set National Ambient Air Quality Standards for six main pollutants, which are called “criteria” pollutants. They include carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide and particle pollution.
The Cleveland Department of Public Health – Division of Air Quality is the local air pollution control agency serving Cleveland and all of Cuyahoga County. The Cleveland Division of Air Quality (CDAQ) contracts with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and utilizes a grant from the U.S. EPA to help fund program activities.
The CDAQ is responsible for enforcement of the City of Cleveland Air Pollution Control Code and is the Ohio EPA Delegated Agent for air pollution control for all of Cuyahoga County. It ensures that regulated air pollutants are in compliance with local, state, and federal air regulations, and also monitors levels of specific air pollutants.
CDAQ’s three areas of concentration include enforcement, permitting, and monitoring.
Complaints regarding air pollution nuisances can be filed online by visiting the Cleveland Division of Air Quality’s web site. The complaint you file may very well be the agency’s first knowledge of a problem at a facility. Investigation of complaints can result in enforcement actions against offenders, but more importantly, can result in cleaner air for everyone.
After submitting your detailed complaint information, individuals reporting the situation will be contacted by a CDAQ enforcement investigator in a timely manner. When contacted by an investigator regarding a complaint, it is very important that as much detailed information as possible is provided to aid the investigation.
The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) – Air Quality Program is dedicated to increasing public awareness of the health risks and the environmental impacts of ground-level ozone and fine particle pollution. NOACA helps address local air quality concerns in many ways:
- Coordination of the Ozone Action Days Program, a voluntary, community-based effort to reduce air pollution on the hottest of summer days
- Providing access to near real-time monitored ozone data on the Air Now website and allowing users to access historical pollution data
- Keeping local governments informed about current and future regulations that may require additional local planning to curb air pollution
Resources & Links
American Lung Association
Cleveland Department of Public Health – Division of Air Quality
NOACA Air Quality Program
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency – Division of Air Pollution Control
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – National Ambient Air Quality Standards
Weather Channel – weather.com