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The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality announced that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) has stated that Arkansas is in attainment state-wide with the 2015 Ground-Level National Ambient Air Quality Standard (“NAAQS”).

ADEQ states that EPA has therefore designated Arkansas “Attainment/Unclassifiable.”

Ozone is an irritant gas. It is not emitted by any particular source and is therefore a secondary air pollutant. It is formed in the atmosphere in the presence of sunlight and heat from other precursor air pollutants including nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbons. The photochemical reactions can vary because they are initiated by natural conditions such as sunlight and temperature which can obviously change. As a result, the rate of ground-level formation can differ on an hourly, daily, or seasonal basis.

Ozone is an air pollutant currently designated a criteria air pollutant. Therefore EPA established ambient air quality standards (“NAAQS”) for the pollutant. Once established, the states are required to develop and implement state implementation plans to ensure that its air quality control regions meet the NAAQS.

ADEQ notes in its announcement that EPA:

. . . encouraged ADEQ to continue its efforts to maintain air quality that meets the 2015 ozone standard. . .

A link to the prepublication version of the EPA notice listing official designations is available here.