FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
State and Local Air Agencies Continue to Engage U.S. EPA During COVID-19 Pandemic
May 28, 2020
Lexington, KY
The Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies (AAPCA), a national, consensus-driven organization, applauds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for participating in recent and upcoming webinars and conference calls for state and local members. Held virtually in place of AAPCA’s cancelled 2020 Spring Meeting, these informational forums provide opportunities for state and local air quality agencies to stay engaged with federal partners during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“We recognize that, like state and local counterparts, EPA staff are working remotely during this time,” remarked AAPCA President Karen Hays of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. “AAPCA’s 48 state and local members, which represent nearly 50 percent of the U.S. population, appreciate the Agency’s willingness to present in these virtual forums, which provide critical information in our continued work to protect and improve air quality.”
Following the cancellation of AAPCA’s 2020 Spring Meeting, which was scheduled for late-April in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Association developed a Spring 2020 Webinar Series to cover a range of key topics, including modeling and monitoring updates, permitting, regional haze, national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) implementation, and public outreach and information methods. The following webinars have been hosted by AAPCA for state and local air agencies:
- Modeling, Monitoring, & Other Technical Updates (April 17, 2020), with updates from the U.S. EPA Air Quality Assessment Division
- NAAQS/SIP, Permitting, & Other Air Quality Planning Updates (April 29, 2020), with updates from the U.S. EPA Air Quality Policy Division
- Engaging the Public: Innovative Outreach & Communication Methods (May 28, 2020), featuring presentations from the U.S. EPA Outreach & Information Division, the Utah Clean Air Partnership, the Kentucky Division for Air Quality and San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.
AAPCA’s membership has also been honored to hear from leadership in U.S. EPA’s Offices of Air and Radiation and Enforcement and Compliance Assurance in April and May of this year.
All presentations to-date from AAPCA’s Spring 2020 Webinar Series can be found on the Events Page of AAPCA’s website, which will be updated with future presentations as available.
AAPCA Background
The Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies (AAPCA) is a 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 members work collaboratively on behalf of states and the communities they protect to act as a conduit for and provide feedback to federal regulators on air quality rules that have significant impacts across the entire nation. AAPCA represents nearly 50 state and local air agencies, and senior officials from 23 state environmental agencies currently sit on AAPCA’s Board of Directors. AAPCA is housed in Lexington, Kentucky as an affiliated association of The Council of State Governments (CSG).
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