As the region's designated air quality planning organization, Pima Association of Governments develops regional plans, conducts analyses to ensure the plans do not adversely affect the environment, and ensures that programs comply with all federal requirements.
We also conduct routine emissions inventories of greenhouse gases for the region. Motor vehicle travel, industrial activities, land development patterns and meteorological conditions all affect regional air quality.
National standards are established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure that our air remains healthy and to protect the visibility of our natural areas.
Currently, air in the Tucson region meets all of the federal environmental health standards. However, several air pollutants (ground-level ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide) are of key significance in our area. Of these three, ground-level ozone is of the greatest concern since increasing levels may exceed the total concentrations recommended by the federal health standard.
With the population of the Tucson region at 1 million, maintaining healthy air, understanding the sources of pollution and initiating steps to curb pollution are important. Although air pollutants are emitted from commercial and industrial sources, the majority of manmade air pollution in the county comes from motor vehicle use.