FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
State Air Trends & Successes: The StATS Report – 2023 Edition Published
Annual report highlights state and local air agencies, U.S. air quality improvement
May 1, 2023
Lexington, KY
Today, the 2023 edition of State Air Trends & Successes: The StATS Report was published by the Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies (AAPCA). Released in conjunction with Air Quality Awareness Week (May 1 to 5), The StATS Report looks at the significant improvement in air quality that has been achieved in the United States, focusing on the central role of state and local air agencies. The publication has been issued annually since April 2017.
Remarking on this year’s report, AAPCA President Mike Abraczinskas, Director for the North Carolina Division of Air Quality, stated: “As the data show, state and local air agencies have a track record of protecting the air, often with limited resources. Meeting our missions means working on the ground, directly with communities, regulated industries, and other stakeholders to solve environmental issues.”
State Air Trends & Successes: The StATS Report catalogs key trends and indicators using publicly available data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal agencies that are important for understanding how air pollution control and planning efforts have improved air quality. The report includes metrics for the national ambient air quality standards, or NAAQS, and regional haze programs as well as for hazardous air pollutants and greenhouse gases. When relevant to provide context, economic and social indicators are also presented, such as gross domestic product (GDP) and population growth.
“While we still have work to do, AAPCA members are proud of the accomplishments highlighted in The StATS Report,” commented AAPCA Vice President Jason Meyers, Air Planning and Assessment Division Administrator for the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality.
Some key national statistics from the 2023 edition of The StATS Report include:
- From 1970 to 2021, the United States reduced aggregate emissions of criteria pollutants subject to NAAQS by 78 percent.
- Nationally from 2012 to 2021, reported toxic air releases were reduced 26 percent, or a total of 204 million pounds.
- United States energy-related carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions fell by almost 17 percent from 2000 to 2021, while the nation’s total energy production increased 34 percent.
AAPCA Member State leadership is also referenced in the report:
- Since 2000, AAPCA Member States have achieved a 52 percent reduction in the combined emissions of criteria pollutant emissions.
- From 2000 to 2022, AAPCA Member States reduced emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and oxides of nitrogen (NOX) from the electricity sector by 92 percent and 84 percent, respectively.
- From 2000 to 2020, energy-related carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in AAPCA Member States declined 20 percent, while energy production increased 49 percent.
The full 2023 edition of AAPCA’s State Air Trends & Successes: The StATS Report is available at: https://cleanairact.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/AAPCA-2023-The-StATS-Report-FINAL-5-1-23.pdf
U.S. EPA hosts Air Quality Awareness Week (#AQAW2023) with federal partners and state, local, and tribal agencies. The 2023 theme is “Working Together for Clean Air,” with daily topics that include: Wildfires and Smoke; Asthma and Your Health; Air Quality and Transportation; Air Quality and Climate; and Participatory Science. More information about AQAW can be found here.
AAPCA Background
The Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies (AAPCA) is a national, non-profit, consensus-driven organization focused on assisting state and local air quality agencies and personnel with implementation and technical issues associated with the federal Clean Air Act. AAPCA represents 48 state and local air pollution control agencies, and senior officials from 21 state environmental agencies currently sit on the AAPCA Board of Directors. AAPCA is housed in Lexington, Kentucky as an affiliate of The Council of State Governments. You can find more information about AAPCA at: www.cleanairact.org.
Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies | 1776 Avenue of the States | Lexington, Kentucky 40511
www.cleanairact.org | @AAPCA_States | LinkedIn
Contact: Jason Sloan, Executive Director (jsloan@csg.org / 859-244-8043)