Air Quality Standards

Air Quality Standards

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency establishes National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect public health from adverse effects of air pollution.

Standards are set for six outdoor air pollutants, called Criteria Pollutants.

Areas with multiple exceedances of the NAAQS are deemed to be in violation and are designated as nonattainment areas. Based on standards violations through the mid-1990s, Spokane was designated nonattainment for both carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM10).

In August of 2005, Spokane was officially redesignated to attainment for both CO and PM. For more details, click here.