Air Pollution in the Puget Sound Region

Our job is to ensure the people of King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties have clean, healthy air to breathe. We do this in part by monitoring and regulating levels of "criteria air pollutants" (along with the Washington State Department of Ecology) to assure our region meets federal air quality standards. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has set federal standards for the six "criteria air pollutants." These criteria air pollutants are: fine and coarse particulate matter, ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and lead.

Learn more about criteria air pollutants in our region: