EnviroNotes

By S. Andrew Bowman, Chair, Environmental Law Department, Bingham McHale LLP

U.S. EPA, Region 5 announced October 11, 2007 that it has approved the State of Indiana’s request to redesignate Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Madison, Marion, Morgan and Shelby Counties in Central Indiana to attainment of the health-based, eight-hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone. Ground-level ozone is commonly referred to as smog. Smog is formed when a mixture of pollutants react on warm, sunny days. The pollutants are released from vehicles, factories and a wide variety of other sources.

U.S. EPA relied upon air monitoring data for 2004-2006 showing that the area meets the ozone standard. The U.S. EPA also approved the IDEM’s plan to continue meeting the eighty-hour ozone standard through 2020 and the IDEM’s motor vehicle emission budgets included in the plan.

The approval becomes effective upon publication in the Federal Register.

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