Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies Hold 2016 Fall Business Meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina

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Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies Hold 2016 Fall Business Meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina

State and Local Air Agencies Elect 2017 Officers, Recognize Georgia Training Program for 2016 Best Practice

 September 28, 2016
Lexington, KY

From September 21 to 23, the Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies (AAPCA) held its 2016 Fall Business Meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina. The meeting included 130 participants from more than 20 state and local environmental agencies as well as senior staff from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

During the meeting, AAPCA’s Board of Directors, which includes senior air officials from twenty state environmental agencies, elected its 2017 Officers:

AAPCA recognized the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, awarding it the 2016 Best Practice designation for its “Air Protection Branch 101” training program. AAPCA’s leadership also approved a request that U.S. EPA extend the public comment period for its Draft Guidance on Significant Impact Levels for Ozone and Fine Particles in the Prevention of Significant Deterioration Permitting Program.

The meeting included presentations and panels on a variety of timely Clean Air Act issues, including a topical session focused on “Preparing for Personal Air Sensors: Communication, Context and Perspectives.” Presenters and keynote speakers included EPA Acting Assistant Administrator Janet McCabe, Professor Jason West of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and other experts from state/local agencies, academic institutions, and U.S. EPA’s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Office of General Counsel, Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, and Office of Research and Development. All presentations can be viewed on AAPCA’s website.

“AAPCA, with its growing state and local membership and expanded meetings, represents the premier venue for sharing information on technical Clean Air Act issues. The twenty state agencies on the Association’s Board have primary responsibility for improving air quality for hundreds of millions of Americans,” said 2017 AAPCA President Sean Alteri of the Kentucky Division for Air Quality.

According to Vice President Stuart Spencer of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality: “I am very excited to have been selected by my peers to serve as Vice President of AAPCA. The Association brings together experienced regulators from across the country to exchange innovations and success stories in air pollution control.” Secretary/Treasurer Vivian Aucoin, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, stated “Whether on emerging issues like communicating with citizen scientists or resource-intensive air quality implementation matters like responding to the Startup, Shutdown, and Malfunction State Implementation Plan Call or modeling and monitoring for the 2010 sulfur dioxide standard, AAPCA provides its members with a seat at the table for understanding and successfully managing a variety of major Clean Air Act decisions.” “I am particularly proud of the Association’s work to invigorate our eleven technical committees as well as enhance member interactions with our federal counterparts at U.S. EPA,” reflected Past President Sheila Holman of the North Carolina Division of Air Quality.

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. Twenty state environmental agencies currently sit on AAPCA’s 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: http://www.cleanairact.org.

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