As the agency responsible for regional transportation planning, the Regional Planning Commission leads the analysis of the impact of the region’s transportation sector to air quality. Currently, the Greater New Orleans region is designated as an area in attainment of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) set by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). NAAQS requires the transportation sector to meet specified standards for Particulate Matter (PM-10), Carbon Monoxide (CO), and Ozone at the ground-level. Unlike PM-10 and CO, ozone is not directly emitted, but created by a chemical reaction between nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the presence of sunlight. Ground-level ozone is the primary component of smog.
Due to the region’s compliance with NAAQS, it is not required at this time for the RPC to produce an air quality conformity analysis in tandem with the adoption of the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) – also known as the long-range plan. The region’s last air quality conformity analysis was performed in 2004 in conjunction with the development of the 2027 MTP.
Daily reports about local air quality conditions, forecasts and additional information can be found at http://airnow.gov.