Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP)
What is the Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP)?
The CAAP is a comprehensive, community-based, plan of voluntary strategies to reduce ground-level ozone pollution, in Southwest Missouri. The plan includes voluntary initiatives that can be adopted by local governments, businesses, and the general public to reduce pollutants (I.E. NOx and VOC's) that contribute to ground-level ozone formation, and other air pollution. Click here to view the CAAP
Who is developing the CAAP?
The Ozarks Clean Air Alliance (OCAA). The OCAA is worked with other businesses and organizations to gather information to determine the most feasible strategies with the best reductions in pollutants that contribute to ozone formation.
Why is the CAAP being developed?
When the Ozarks Clean Air Alliance was created in early 2007, the group reviewed current levels of air pollution being monitored in the area. As a result, the group determined that due to the population growth rate for the area, ground-level ozone was a pollutant of significant concern. Therefore, the OCAA began educating groups across the Ozarks about ground-level ozone pollution and what can be done to improve air quality. As the effort grew, the OCAA began planning for the development of an action plan that lists voluntary strategies for organizations and individuals that can be adopted throughout the region to reduce ozone pollution. To date, 50 organizations are currently participating in the OCAA. Of these organizations, a small work group of 8 members was created to aggressively begin developing and CAAP. This work group began in January 2008. Our efforts to reduce ozone pollution were reinforced when the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a new ozone air quality standard in 2008. This new regulation places several counties in Southwest Missouri at risk of being classified as "non-attainment" for ground-level ozone.
During the summer of 2008, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) completed an evaluation of various counties in the state to determine compliance with the new ozone standard. In Southwest Missouri, MDNR determined that if the region exceeds the new standard, the following counties could be classified as "non-attainment":
- Geene
- Christian
- Taney
- Stone
- Cedar (rual transport)
Click here to review the report from MDNR. In addition, new ozone monitors were placed outside of Joplin and Carthage. These areas will be assessed after three years of monitoring data have been acquired.
For more information about the CAAP, contact:
Doug Neidigh
Program Manager
Ozarks Center for Sustainable Solutions (OCSS)
Drury University
417/873-7641
dneidigh@drury.edu
Michelle Garand
Administrator of Community Support Services
Community Partnership of the Ozarks
417/888-2020