The Environmental Protection Agency recently announced a proposal to designate the portion of the Chicago area that is in Indiana as an area that is beholden to the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ground-level ozone.
According to air monitoring data from 2019–2021, the area meets national standards to protect public health, a March 3 EPA press release stated.
“People in Northwest Indiana are breathing cleaner, healthier air due to EPA’s partnership with the state of Indiana,” Debra Shore, EPA Region 5 administrator, said in the release. “Reducing ozone pollution in the air is especially helpful for vulnerable populations.”
The EPA collaborated with Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin to develop a strategy for attaining the ozone standard for the Chicago area, which occupies portions of all three states, according to the release.
In February, the agency filed a similar proposal to redesignate the Wisconsin portion of Chicago, the release stated.
