State Air Trends & Successes - The StATS Report: The Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies Report

The Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies (“AAPCA”) has issued the 2019 edition of its annual report titled:

State Air Trends & Successes - The StATS Report (“Report”)

AAPCA describes the Report as detailing:

. . . significant progress in air quality that has been achieved in the United States and spotlights the critical role of state and local air agencies in that improvement.

The Report states it utilizes publically available data from the United States Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies in generating air quality statistics.

AAPCA describes itself as a consensus-driven organization focused on assisting state and local air quality agencies and personnel with implementation and technical issues associated with the federal Clean Air Act. The State of Arkansas is a member of AAPCA.

The Report characterizes its progress in terms of air quality measures and indicators statistics such as:

• From 1970 to 2017, a 73 percent in the combined emissions of the six criteria air pollutants for which there are national ambient air quality standards.
• From 1990 to 2016, electricity sector emissions of nitrogen oxide were reduced more than 80 percent and electricity sector sulfur dioxide emissions were reduced 91 percent.
• Nearly two-thirds of the national reduction in reported toxic chemical air releases from 2007 to 2017 were achieved by AAPCA member states.
• AAPCA Member States reduced the aggregate emissions of the six criteria air pollutants by 54 percent, while experiencing a 263 percent increase in Gross Domestic Product, a 58 percent increase in vehicle miles traveled, and a 44 percent increase in population.
• In the electricity sector, AAPCA Member States accounted for more than 60 percent of nitrogen oxide emissions reductions in the United States from 1990 to 2016.

Components of the report include:

• Air Quality Successes In AAPCA Member States
• AAPCA Member States: Growth Indicators and Emissions Reductions
• Air Quality
• Electricity Sector Emissions
• Greenhouse Gases and the Energy Sector
• Toxic Air Releases
• Compliance and Enforcement Activity
• Section Notes: Air Quality Successes in AAPCA Member States
• American Leadership In Air Quality
• America's Footprint
• World Trends
• Air Quality Trends In The United States
• Criteria Air Pollutant Trends
• Visibility Progress
• Hazardous Air Pollutant Trends
• Greenhouse Gas Trends
• Section Notes: Air Quality Trends in the United States
• Other Air Quality Resources

Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality Associate Director (Air) Stuart Spencer serves as Past-President of AAPCA.

A copy of the Report can be downloaded here.