The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Illinois agreed that the greater Chicago area attained acceptable ground ozone levels.
In its March 10 news release, the EPA said that it's ready to enter a proposal with Illinois that the state's "Illinois portion of the Chicago area" be designated as having attained the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standard requirements for ground-level ozone. Air monitoring data between 2019 through 2021 found that the Chicago area now those national standards to protect public health and that the site also exceeds federal health-based ozone standards that were set in 2015.
"People in the Chicago area are breathing cleaner, healthier air due to EPA's partnership with the state of Illinois," EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore said in the release. "Reducing ozone pollution in the air is especially helpful for vulnerable populations."
Shore was appointed EPA Region 5 administrator in October. EPA's Region 5 encompasses Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin and 35 tribal nations.
EPA's "Illinois portion of the Chicago area" is Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties, as well as portions of Grundy and Kendall counties in Illinois, Lake and Porter counties in Indiana, and part of Kenosha County in Wisconsin. That in mind, the EPA isn't working only with Illinois to improve ozone levels in greater Chicago. EPA also is working collaboratively with Indiana and Wisconsin on strategies for attaining ozone standards in greater Chicago.
Ground-level ozone is not emitted into the air, according to the news release. Instead, ozone forms when nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds react in sunlight. Industrial and electric utilities' emissions, motor vehicle exhaust, chemical solvents and gasoline vapors are examples of major nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds sources. Reducing ozone contributes to public health by reducing health issues such as coughing, chest pain, congestion and throat irritation. Ground-level ozone reductions also helps to lessen health conditions such as emphysema, bronchitis and asthma.
"Children will especially benefit from reduced exposure to ozone because their lungs are still developing," the news release says.
With three years of data in hand, the EPA is ready to propose that the greater-Chicago area be redesignated as having attained the ozone levels and approval for the state's maintenance plan for the area to continue to meet federal ozone of 75 parts per billion through 2035.
Pursuant to that proposal, EPA is accepting public comments until April 11.
