FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AAPCA Publishes 2024 Edition of State Air Trends & Success: The StATS Report
State and local air agencies at the forefront of sustained improvement in U.S. air quality
May 2, 2024
Lexington, KY
This morning, the Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies (AAPCA) released the 2024 edition of State Air Trends & Successes: The StATS Report. In the eighth year of publication, the Association’s report showcases the central role of state and local air agencies in successfully improving the nation’s air quality since the passage of the federal Clean Air Act. The 2024 edition is being released ahead of Air Quality Awareness Week, which will run from May 6 to 10.
“As The StATS Report shows, state and local air agencies continue to meet the mission of protecting air quality,” stated AAPCA President Jason Meyers, Administrator for the Louisiana Air Planning & Assessment Division. “Our work on the ground is vital to ensuring that these trends are sustained, even with new regulations that may further strain agency resources.”
Using publicly available data, The StATS Report provides metrics for key Clean Air Act programs, including for criteria air pollutant concentrations and emissions, hazardous air pollutants (or air toxics), greenhouse gases, and visibility in national parks. Where applicable for context, trendlines of economic and social indicators are presented, such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and energy production. The report is divided into sections on “AAPCA Member State Air Trends & Successes,” “American Air Quality in an International Context,” and “Air Quality Trends in the United States.”
Commenting on the report, AAPCA Vice President Laura Crowder, Director for the West Virginia Division of Air Quality, noted that, “AAPCA’s members are dedicated to being on the frontlines of improving air quality, directly engaging communities and stakeholders to best meld national policy with local needs.”
A few national trends from the 2024 edition of State Air Trends & Successes: The StATS Report include:
- From 1970 to 2022, the United States has reduced aggregate emissions of criteria pollutants under the NAAQS programs by 78 percent.
- In the past two decades, the nation’s energy-related carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions are down 16 percent despite a 38 percent increase in total energy production.
- Toxic air releases that are reported were reduced 26 percent, or a total of 204 million pounds, from 2013 to 2022.
The StATS Report also spotlights AAPCA Member State leadership:
- Collectively since 2000, AAPCA Member States have reduced criteria pollutants by 52 percent in aggregate.
- From 2000 to 2023, AAPCA Member States have decreased electricity sector emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and oxides of nitrogen (NOX) by 94 percent and 86 percent, respectively.
- AAPCA Members states oversaw a 15 percent decline in energy-related carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from 2000 to 2021, while energy production increased 51 percent.
The 2024 edition of AAPCA’s State Air Trends & Successes: The StATS Report is available at: https://cleanairact.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2024_AAPCA_StATS_Final.pdf
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hosts Air Quality Awareness Week (#AQAW2024) with federal partners and state, local, and tribal agencies. The 2024 theme is “Knowing Your Air,” with the following daily topics: Wildland Fires and Smoke; Asthma and Your Health; Air Quality and Climate; Air Quality and Environmental Justice; and Air, Animals, and Plants. 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 51 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)