U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

New Tools Make Understanding Air Quality Easier Than Ever

Contact: Margot Perez-Sullivan, (202) 564-4355/
perezsullivan.margot@epa.gov

(Washington, D.C. – November 19, 2007)  Ever used your computer to “fly”
through the mountains, or zoom in on a satellite picture of your house?
Now you can use the same technology to learn more about emissions and
air quality across the country and where you live.

EPA has developed two tools that let computer users “see” air quality
information on a virtual globe. Both tools are available to the public
starting today.

“Google has changed the way people use the Internet. By combining their
innovative mapping tools with our air data, EPA and Google are changing
the way people use the Internet to protect their health,” said EPA
Administrator Stephen L. Johnson.

The first tool is part of the new “Air Emission Sources” Web site, which
is designed to make emissions data for six common pollutants easy to
find and understand. Based on the latest National Emissions Inventory,
the site uses charts and Google Earth files to answer a user’s
questions. Users can look at overall emissions, emissions by type of
industry, or emissions by largest polluter.

Want to know what industry emits the most sulfur dioxide in your state?
Select your state from a map, pick a pollutant, and the site creates a
chart showing you emissions by industry. Want to “see” which refineries
in your state emit the most sulfur dioxide? Use the “tilt” feature in
Google Earth to quickly find the largest emitter. Then click on the
balloon to get more details about emissions from that facility.

EPA also is providing Air Quality Index (AQI) information in the Google
Earth format. Use the AQI tool to quickly see air quality across the
country, then click on a specific location to see that city’s AQI
forecast and current levels of ozone or particle pollution.

The AQI is EPA’s color-coded tool to inform the public about daily air
pollution levels in their communities. EPA, in collaboration with state
and local governments, provides AQI forecasts and conditions for more
than 300 cities across the United States.

On the web:
Go to the Air Emissions Sources Web site: www.epa.gov/air/emissions

View information in Google Earth format about which facilities emit any
of six common pollutants: http://www.epa.gov/air/emissions/where.htm

See AQI forecasts and current conditions: www.airnow.gov
View air quality information in Google Earth format:
http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=google_earth.main

EPA is also using the Google Earth platform to display Acid Rain Program
data: http://epa.gov/airmarkets/progress/interactivemapping.html