Air Quality Standards

Wisconsin has air quality standards that address criteria and non-criteria pollutants. Criteria pollutants are those air pollutants where national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) have been established. These NAAQS are contained in s. NR 404.04. Wis. Adm. Code. EPA's official list of NAAQS [exit DNR] is slightly different than Wisconsin's list of air quality standards. In April 2008, the Natural Resources Board adopted an administrative rule change which incorporates the PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards into NR404. The rule change is currently undergoing legislative review. For more information regarding the air quality standards please refer to s. NR 404.04, Wis. Adm. Code by clicking here (exit DNR).

Chapter NR 445, Wis. Adm. Code, sets acceptable ambient concentrations for non-criteria pollutants. Each of the pollutants listed in Tables A-C of NR 445.07, Wis. Adm. Code, lists an acceptable ambient concentration that varies depending on the height of the stack in which the pollutant is emitted and the modeling time period for that pollutant. To download an Excel spreadsheet listing the acceptable ambient concentration for each pollutant, click here.

Air Quality Modeling