(Radio Iowa) – Iowa hit an air quality goal in December that had been in the works for more than ten years. The D-N-R’s Don Tormey says the E-P-A determined that the Muscatine area reached the federal mandated level for sulfur dioxide emissions. “With that action by E-P-A, the entire state of Iowa is now in full attainment with all the federal national ambient air quality standards, the entire state,” he says. “that was the one part of Iowa, and that was the one criteria pollutant that was not attainment.” Tormey leads the D-N-R’s Environmental Services Division and says the E-P-A tests air quality for particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and carbon monoxide, along with sulfur dioxide.

He says it has been a long time since the entire state met the E-P-A goals.  “We have not been in that status since December 30th, 2011, or 14 years ago. We are now the 17th state in the Union to be in full attainment with all those standards,” Tormey says. Tormey says there is a big difference in the air quality in Muscatine now compared to back then. “So actual sulfur dioxide annual emissions in the Muscatine area are down 13-thousand tons compared to 2011,” Tormey says. “And the measured ambient monitoring data values are currently at 17 parts per billion for this part of Iowa, which is well below the standard of 75 parts per billion. And back in 2011, it was 217 parts per billion.” Tormey says it took a lot of work and cooperation to bring the numbers down in Muscatine.

“Of course, this just didn’t happen overnight. We’ve been working with the Muscatine area businesses for the last ten years to make this happen, because they obviously needed to reduce emissions in the area for this to happen. And so it’s been a really good partnership between those businesses and our air quality staff, “Tormey says. Tormey says everyone is very proud of achieving this air quality standard. He made his comments during the Environmental Protection Commission meeting.