Puget Sound Clean Air Agency
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Reports

Air Quality Reports

Our agency produces an array of air quality reports, including monthly summaries of regional air quality and comprehensive annual air quality summaries.

2005 Air Emission Inventory, March 2008

The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency conducted a comprehensive inventory of air pollution sources in its jurisdiction for the year 2005.  An inventory provides an estimate of air pollutant emissions by source category, and helps the Agency prioritize its efforts to reduce emissions. 

The 2005 inventory includes the traditional "criteria" pollutants: fine particles, the ozone precursor volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide, as well as greenhouse gases.  The source categories inventoried include cars, trucks, buses, ships, local business and industry, and emissions from residential homes (home heating, etc.).  The Agency inventoried sources from King, Snohomish, Pierce, and Kitsap counties.

Fine Particulate Matter Non-Attainment Area Recommendation for the Tacoma Area

In December 2006, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revised the air quality standard for fine particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in size (PM2.5). The reason for changing the standard was to better protect public health. When EPA changes an air quality standard, states can make recommendations to EPA on whether areas in the state should be designated “attainment” (meeting the standard), “non-attainment” (not meeting the standard), or “unclassifiable” (there is not enough information to determine if the area meets the standard). The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency developed the proposed non-attainment area for Tacoma and several surrounding Pierce County communities, which is within Clean Air Agency’s jurisdiction, on the basis of the nine factors in EPA guidance and with input from a variety of organizations.

Creating Our Future: The Next 10 Years

On January 26, 2006, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency convened an all-day conference of almost 100 clean air experts, advocates, community leaders and decision makers. The intent of the conference was to inform, educate and provoke discussion about the future of air quality in the Puget Sound Region. The day was designed to elicit input from stakeholders and help the agency identify critical issues to be addressed over the next 10 years. It represented an initial milestone in a planning process that will continue through 2006 and include the development of a Ten Year Plan, along with strategies for pursuing priority goals over the next two to five years.

Puget Sound Air Quality Attitude and Awareness Survey

The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency commissioned PRR to conduct its triennial  survey of area residents for two primary reasons: (1) to obtain information about air quality knowledge to help the agency plan and disseminate effective air quality messages to Puget Sound residents, and (2) to collect data regarding  air quality behaviors at the household level needed for air quality models. Survey results are available for download.

Climate Protection Advisory Committee Reports, January 2005

The 25-member Climate Protection Advisory Committee began meeting in early 2004 and issued its recommendations in January 2005.  The committee included representatives from business, environmental groups, utilities and government agencies who met regularly throughout 2004 at the request of the Clean Air Agency’s board of directors to explore the impacts of climate change for the Puget Sound region and to provide direction to the agency and the region on climate protection strategies.

Puget Sound Air Toxics Evaluation, October 2003

The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency conducted this study in an effort to better understand the potential health risks to our three million residents from a group of air contaminants commonly referred to as air toxics. This study is intended to assist the agency in improving its air-toxics regulations and voluntary programs and to provide more information for allocating resources. The estimates of cancer and non-cancer health effects should not be viewed as actual cancer or non-cancer cases resulting from air pollution but as an estimate of relative impact of the evaluated toxic-air pollutants so the agency can prioritize its efforts to reduce exposures. 

Other links:

Carbon Monoxide/Ozone Stakeholders Group Final Report, June 2001

The final report from the CO/Ozone Stakeholders Group recommends strategies for ensuring continued compliance with national air-quality standards for carbon monoxide and ozone. Published June 27, 2001. Appendices are available by contacting John Anderson.

PM2.5 Stakeholders Group Final Report, October 1999

The final report from the PM2.5 Stakeholders Group recommends strategies for ensuring compliance with the proposed national air-quality standard for fine particulate matter. Published October 15, 1999.

Future Search, January 1996

On January 24-26, 1996, 62 participants met for three intensive days of discussions about ourselves, the world we live in, and the future of air quality management.  The results were 13 points of common ground concerning the future of air quality management in the Puget Sound region, and a host of ideas centered on the ‘hows’ of achieving our common air quality management goals for the future.