Air quality maintenance areas

The states are required to submit to the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans, known as State Implementation Plans (SIP), showing how they will achieve the standards in their jurisdictions within a specified time period. If after that time period there are areas within the states where these standards have not been attained, the states are required to submit and obtain EPA approval of revised plans to achieve the standards in these "nonattainment" areas. EPA also designates certain areas where the standards are being met, but which have the potential for future nonattainment, as Air Quality Maintenance Areas (AQMA). Such regions have stricter requirements than attainment areas for the granting of permits for new sources of the pollutant not in attainment status. 

The primary focus here is on work completed in the Portland Air Quality Maintenance area in Northwest Oregon, although the Improvements to the meteorological data, emission inventories and dispersion model have been completed in all three cities. 

Cooper, J. A. and J. G. Watson. Portland Aerosol Characterization Study (PACS). Application of Chemical Mass Balance Methods to the Identification of Major Aerosol Sources in the Portland Airshod. Final report Summary. Prepared for the Portland Air Quality Maintenance Area Advisory Committee and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. April 23, 1979. 

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