The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) designated the counties of Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, and Summit as in nonattainment for the new 8-hour ozone standard. The USEPA designated Ashtabula (partial), Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, and Summit as in nonattainment for the new fine particulate (PM2.5) standard. These designations require that the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, with local input, submit SIPs to USEPA that would bring Northeast Ohio into attainment for both of these pollutants. You can read the Nonattainment Fact Sheet available as a PDF file.

The NOACA Governing Board, on August 11, 2006, adopted recommendations by which Northeast Ohio could attain the 8-hour ozone standard, on the basis of 15 months of work performed by the NOACA Air Quality Public Advisory Task Force and the NOACA EAC Air Quality Subcommittee. The entire set of recommendations is available in PDF format:

• Letter to Ohio EPA Director Joseph P. Koncelik
• Res. 2006-031 and Memo (8 Hour SIP for Northeast Ohio)
• Res. 2006-032 and Memo (Request for Extension of Time
• SIP Planning Memorandum of Understanding
• NOACA Air Quality Subcommittee Report: 8 Hour Ozone SIP Options
• Ohio University Evaluation 2009 Alternative Emission Reductions for Northeast Ohio
• Final Report of the NOACA Air Quality Public Advisory Task Force on the 8 Hour Ozone SIP Options
• 80 Options Evaluated by NOACA Public Advisory Task Force
• Final Report of the Mobile Source Work Group (Ozone)
• Final Report of the Area Source Work Group (Ozone)
• Final Report of the Point Source Work Group (Ozone)
• List of Acronyms