Attainment and Non-Attainment of the  in Connecticut  

The State of Connecticut can be broadly designated as either attainment or non-attainment with respect to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for the following six criteria air pollutants: particulate matter (<10 micrometers in diameter-PM₁₀ or <  2.5 micrometers in diameter-PM_2.5); sulfur dioxide (SO₂); ozone (O₃); nitrogen dioxide (NO₂); carbon monoxide (CO); and lead (Pb).  The current designations are:

        Attainment: CO, NO₂, Pb, SO₂ and PM₁₀

        Non-Attainment: Ozone, and PM_2.5 (portions of the state)

When the State has been designated as attainment for an air pollutant, all regions of the State are in compliance with all the standards (i.e., short term and long term; primary and secondary) for the particular pollutant. This is the case for NO₂, CO, Pb₂ and SO₂.  In addition, in 2005, EPA approved an attainment designation for New Haven for PM_10.  The rest of the state was already classified as attainment for PM_10.

When the State has been designated as non-attainment for an air pollutant, one or more of the standards for the pollutant have been violated in one or more regions of the State.  The non-attainment designation that is subsequently applied to a region can reflect the "degree" of non-attainment depending upon a number of factors including the air pollution history in the region, previous designation of the region as either attainment or non-attainment, lack of air pollutant monitoring in the region, and inferences made based on pollutant monitoring done in adjacent or similar regions.

Content Last Updated November 2005