up in the air:
what changes in federal air quality standards could mean for minnesota

about the program

In light of new research, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is considering setting stricter health-based ambient air quality standards for ground-level ozone and fine particulates. What will these new standards mean for Minnesota businesses and communities?

Minnesota's air quality has improved over the last decade for most pollutants, but there is uncertainty about where new federal standards will be set and whether Minnesota will remain in compliance. In the midst of this uncertainty, Minnesota has a unique opportunity to develop our own solutions to our air quality challenges.

This event was the first in a three part series, hosted in Minneapolis, Duluth and Rochester, where experts from around the region addressed the following questions:

• What do we know about air quality in Minnesota and its impacts on public health?
• How might proposed changes to federal air quality standards impact Minnesota industries? What sectors are most likely to be impacted?
• What can Minnesota businesses and communities do to proactively reduce emissions in order to avoid federal nonattainment designations?

This series of events kicked off Minnesota’s Clean Air Dialogue, a facilitated stakeholder process in which leaders from the business, government and nonprofit sectors will identify potential emission reduction strategies that are efficient, effective and beneficial for Minnesotans and Minnesota industries.

Questions and concerns—and solutions—posed by the attendees were collected as input for the dialogue.