MAG, Maricopa County, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, and the Arizona Department of Transportation have an impressive record in improving our air quality. Below are a few of the region's air quality achievements.
- The region has one of the most stringent vehicle emissions inspection maintenance programs in the country.
- The MAG region was one of the first areas in the country to implement an alternative fuels program to help resolve the carbon monoxide issue.
- In April 2005, the Environmental Protection Agency approved the MAG 2003 Carbon Monoxide Maintenance Plan and redesignated the Maricopa County non-attainment area as a Maintenance Area. In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency published final approval of the MAG 2013 Carbon Monoxide Maintenance Plan on March 3, 2016, which indicates that the carbon monoxide standard would be maintained through 2025.
- There have been no violations of the one-hour ozone standard at any monitor after 1996.The region was also re-designated as a maintenance area for the pollutant. Additionally, there have been no violations of the 0.08 parts per million eight-hour ozone standard at air quality monitors since 2004. On September 17, 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency published a final notice to approve the MAG 2009 Eight-Hour Ozone Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan for the 0.08 parts per million eight-hour ozone standard.
- On October 16, 2016 the Environmental Protection Agency published a direct final notice to approve the MAG 2014 Eight-Hour Ozone Plan that addresses Marginal Area requirements for the 0.075 parts per million eight-hour ozone standard. The MAG 2017 Eight-Hour Ozone Moderate Area Plan includes 93 existing ozone control measures that demonstrate attainment of the 0.075 parts per million eight-hour ozone standard in 2017.
- The region also meets the fine particulate standard (PM-2.5).
- In the area of PM-10, the MAG Revised 1999 Serious Area Plan contained 77 aggressive measures to reduce dust. This Plan was one of the first in the nation and was heralded by the EPA as one of the most comprehensive plans in the country.
- The MAG 2012 Five Percent Plan for PM-10 contains a wide variety of existing control measures and projects that have been implemented to reduce PM-10 and includes a new measure designed to reduce PM-10 during high risk conditions, including high winds. On June 10, 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency published a final notice to fully approve the MAG2012 Five Percent Plan for PM-10, effective July 10, 2014.
- In addition, since 2001 the MAG Regional Council has allocated a total of $35.2 million in CMAQ funds to purchase clean, dust-reducing street sweepers. It has allocated $68.0 million for paving unpaved roads from 2007 to 2020.