The national ambient air quality standards for ozone.

Environmental affairs under the Clean Air Act and the National Ambient Air Quality Standards are the benchmarks by which regions of the country are judged as whether they are in compliance (attainment or non-attainment) with the Act.

The five air pollutants regulated by the NAAQS are ozone, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and lead.

Currently, the EPA is in the process of reviewing the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone and plans on finalizing action by next spring. Any changes in the NAAQS for ozone, particularly the ones being recommended by the EPA staff, will have dramatic effects on how states deal with their ozone problems.

A key step in this review was taken in …