News Releases - 2002

Illinois EPA Annual Air Quality Report For 2001 Released

Springfield, Ill. -- The latest annual outdoor air quality report, for the year 2001, is now available from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

The report notes that the year 2001 marked the third year in a row that air monitoring equipment in the Illinois portion of the Chicago Metropolitan area did not register any exceedances of the federal one-hour health standard for ozone (smog), making the Chicago non-attainment area both the largest metropolitan area and the first severe ozone non-attainment area in the nation to meet the one-hour standard.

The data contained in the report shows the State has been experiencing an on-going trend of decreased levels of PM2.5 and ozone. The decreased emissions are attributed to reductions from industry as well as voluntary efforts of the Partners for Clean Air and individual citizens, through the promotion of Ozone Action Days.

"We are proud of the achievements the State has experienced in air quality, still there is more work to be done by individuals and businesses," said Illinois EPA Director Renee Cipriano. "We will continue our efforts to ensure that Illinois air quality continues to improve for all residents."

The report, incorporating the Air Quality Index (AQI) including eight-hour ozone and PM2.5, indicates Illinois experienced 40 days in which air quality did not meet the "good" or "moderate" categories and posed a potential risk to sensitive individuals. Of those 40 days, 39 were attributed to either eight-hour ozone and/or PM2.5 and one was due to PM10. Two counties were out of compliance with the 8-hour ozone standard for the time period 1999 - 2001: Cook and Jersey.

Compliance with the PM2.5 standards will be based on data from 2000 - 2002. Data gathered from 2000-2001 indicates that the Chicago and East St. Louis metropolitan areas will likely not meet the annual standard.

Although U.S. EPA has not provided implementation guidelines or for the eight-hour ozone standard and PM2.5, the State anticipates the strategy to be announced within the next several years.

"We will continue to address air quality issues throughout the State as we work to meet the more stringent eight-hour and PM2.5 standards," said Director Cipriano. "We anticipate significant reductions in the coming years through Illinois' NOx SIP Call, and we are confident that the State will continue its achievements in air quality."

The Illinois EPA maintains more than 200 monitors at nearly 100 locations statewide that track pollutants with federal health-based standards - called criteria pollutants - as well as other pollutants and compounds.

According to the air monitoring network data, trends from the past decade show continued improvements in air quality or levels stabilized well below the air quality standards statewide.

The 2001 Air Quality Report is available on the Agency web site at www.epa.state.il.us. Printed copies may be requested from the Illinois EPA's Bureau of Air at 217-782-9315.