The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) sets air pollution standards pursuant to the Clean Air Act, which are revised periodically. Metropolitan areas that fail to meet these standards may be designated as “nonattainment areas.” When U.S. EPA revises its air pollution standards and designates a region as a nonattainment area, the state is required to submit a State Implementation Plan (SIP) with local input. SIPs outline control strategies to reduce air pollution in nonattainment areas.

State Implementation Plans are a compilation of new and previously submitted plans, programs (such as monitoring, modeling, permitting, etc.), district rules, state regulations, and federal controls. The scope of the different State Implementation Plan submittals required for each nonattainment area depends on the severity of the nonattainment designation. This web page shows NOACA’s SIP planning process and the recent SIP submissions made by the State of Ohio to the U.S. EPA.

2012 Fine Particle (PM2.5) Standards:

On December 14, 2012, the U.S. EPA strengthened the 24-hour and annual NAAQS for fine particles (PM2.5). On December 18, 2014, the U.S. EPA designated Cuyahoga and Lorain Counties as nonattainment areas for the 2012 fine particles standards.

• Nonattainment designation

2006 Fine Particle (PM2.5) Standards:

On November 13, 2009, the U.S. EPA designated Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, and Summit Counties as a nonattainment area for the 2006 24-hour fine particles (PM2.5) standard. Due to progress made under the SIP, the region was redesignated to maintenance for the 2006 NAAQS on September 18, 2013.

• Redesignation of the Cleveland-Akron-Lorain Area to Attainment of the 2006 24-Hour Standard for Fine Particulate Matter
• Redesignation request and maintenance plan for the Cleveland-Akron-Lorain PM2.5 nonattainment area
• Nonattainment designation

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