In November 1990, new Clean Air Act Amendments were passed. With these amendments, the U.S. Congress revised the mechanism used to meet attainment deadlines. The previously defined nonattainment areas were further subcategorized based upon severity of pollution, deadlines were revised and sanctions, originally reserved for nonattainment, were utilized as a means of ensuring compliance with the 1990 CAAA. Additionally, the CAAA also provided a mechanism for nonattainment areas to obtain redesignation once the area had achieved and maintained the NAAQS.

The tri-county area comprised of Broward, Dade and Palm Beach counties, was designated a moderate nonattainment area for ozone, so the EPA assigned an attainment deadline of 1996 for the area, commonly referred to as the Southeast Florida Airshed.

In response to the need to ensure compliance with the 1990 CAAA, state and local agencies in the Southeast Florida airshed initiated several new pollution control programs. As soon as validated air monitoring data was available for the airshed to demonstrate conformance with the NAAQS, tri-county agencies were in a position to qualify and apply for redesignation to ozone attainment / maintenance status.

The tri-county area redesignation request and accompanying SIP revision was submitted to the EPA through the FDEP during November 1993. The SIP revision and redesignation request were subsequently approved by the EPA on April 27, 1995.

The DERM Air Quality Management Division strives to invoke programs that can realistically (and at reasonable expense) bring Miami-Dade County's air quality into compliance. Dade's compliance with the NAAQS and ability to requisition redesignation to an attainment-maintenance area for ozone demonstrates that dedicated effort by DERM staff, coupled with continued public support, does in fact make a difference in the quality of life experienced within the County.

See also:

• The Clean Air Act as amended in 1990