AIR

National Ambient Standands

Air Quality Standards

Use the following table to access information about the individual standards as well as the attainment status and ongoing efforts surrounding each pollutant.

Criteria Pollutant Primary/ Secondary Averaging Time Level Form Attainment Status
Carbon Monoxide Primary

8-hour

1-hour

9ppm

35ppm

Not to be exceeded more than once per year Attainment
Lead Primary and Secondary Rolling 3-month average 0.15 µg/m3 (1) Not to be exceeded Attainment
Nitrogen Dioxide

Primary

Primary and Secondary

1-hour

Annual

100 ppb

53 ppb (2)

98th percentile, averaged over 3 years

Annual Mean

Attainment
Ozone Primary and Secondary 8-hour  0.070 ppm (3) Annual fourth-highest daily maximum 8-hour concentration, averaged over 3 years Attainment  

Particle Pollution PM2.5

Primary and Secondary

Annual 

24-hour

12 µg/m3

35 µg/m3

Annual mean, averaged over 3 years

98th percentile, averaged over 3 years

Attainment

Particle Pollution  PM10

Primary and Secondary

24-hour

150 µg/m3 Not to be exceeded more than once per year on average over 3 years Attainment
Sulfur Dioxide

Primary

Secondary

1-hour

3-hour

 75 ppb (4)

0.5 ppm

99th percentile of 1-hour daily maximum concentrations, averaged over 3 years

Not to be exceeded more than once per year

 Non-Attainment for St. Bernard Parish

 

(1) Final rule signed October 15, 2008.  The 1978 lead standard (1.5 µg/m3 as a quarterly average) remains in effect until one year after an area is designated for the 2008 standard, except that in areas designated nonattainment for the 1978, the 1978 standard remains in effect until implementation plans to attain or maintain the 2008 standard are approved.

(2) The official level of the annual NO2 standard is 0.053 ppm, equal to 53 ppb, which is shown here for the purpose of clearer comparison to the 1-hour standard.

(3) Final rule signed March 12, 2008.  The 1997 ozone standard (0.08 ppm, annual fourth-highest daily maximum 8-hour concentration, averaged over 3 years) and related implementation rules remain in place.  In 1997, EPA revoked the 1-hour ozone standard (0.12 ppm, not to be exceeded more than once per year) in all areas, although some areas have continued obligations under that standard (“anti-backsliding”).  The 1-hour ozone standard is attained when the expected number of days per calendar year with maximum hourly average concentrations above 0.12 ppm is less than or equal to 1.

(4) Final rule signed June 2, 2010.  The 1971 annual and 24-hour SO2 standards were revoked in that same rulemaking.  However, these standards remain in effect until one year after an area is designated for the 2010 standard, except in areas designated nonattainment for the 1971 standards, where the 1971 standards remain in effect until implementation plans to attain or maintain the 2010 standard are approved.

 

Get near-real time REGIONAL, SITE, and AQI information

What is the current AQI forecast for my area? 

 

Ozone Pollution and Prevention

Map of Baton Rouge Ozone Nonattainment Area

Baton Rouge Ozone Attainment Efforts

Ozone Related Links on EPA Website

 

Sulfur Dioxide Standard

On June 22, 2010, EPA promulgated a revised 1-hour, 75 ppm, sulfur oxide (SO2) primary standard.  The SO2 primary standard was revised to provide requisite protection of public health.  Under Section 110 (a) of the Federal Clean Air Act, States after promulgation of a national primary ambient air quality standard (or any revision thereof), must implement plans to attain or maintain the standard.  The State Implementation Plan (SIP) must demonstrate, through refined air quality modeling, that all sources contributing to or having the potential to contribute to monitored and modeled violations will be sufficiently controlled to ensure timely attainment and maintenance of the new SO2 standard.
 
The primary SO2 final rule (1) replaces the 24-hour and annual standard, (2) establishes a new 1-hour standard (3) utilizes the 3-year average of the 4thhighest daily maximum 1-hour concentration, (4) establishes new requirements for the SO2 monitoring network, and (5) finalizes conforming changes to the Air Quality Index (AQI).
 

EPA Links

Modeling Documents

SO2 SIP Timeline

SO2 Notes and Presentation

Stakeholder Meeting Record

Facility/Emission Mapping