Advance - Basic Information
The Advance Program promotes local actions in attainment areas to reduce ozone and/or fine particle pollution (PM2.5) to help these areas continue to maintain the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The program encourages and supports states, tribes, and local governments that want to take proactive steps to keep their air clean.
Improvements in air quality could:
- help ensure continued health protection over the long term,
- provide state, tribal, and local governments with a cushion against potential future violations of the NAAQS,
- better position an area to avoid a nonattainment designation with respect to any future revised NAAQS,
- allow communities to better choose control measures and programs that make the most sense for their area and are cost-effective,
- result in multi-pollutant benefits; for example, reductions of nitrogen oxides can lead to lower ambient fine particulate matter levels as well as lower ambient ozone levels.
Local areas can take steps to reduce ozone and/or PM on their own, and EPA encourages these proactive efforts. However, some states, tribes, and local governments may prefer to pursue reductions within the Advance program framework with closer involvement and support from EPA.
- Read the Advance Fact Sheet, Ozone Advance Guidance and PM Advance Guidance for detailed program information.
Please contact your EPA Regional office or Laura Bunte, EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, at (919) 541-0889 or ADVANCE@epa.gov if you have questions about eligibility. Advance Program contacts in the EPA Regional Offices include:
EPA Region 1 ME, MA, RI, CT, NH, VT
Ozone Advance: Anne Arnold, (617) 918-1047
PM Advance: Alison Simcox, (617) 918-1684
EPA Region 2 NY, NJ, PR, VI
Ozone Advance: Matt Laurita, (212) 637-3895
PM Advance: Ken Fradkin, (212) 637-3702
EPA Region 3 PA, WV, VA, DE, MD, DC
Ozone Advance: Ellen Schmitt, (215) 814-5787
PM Advance: Maria Pino, (215) 814-2181
EPA Region 4 KY, TN, NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, MS
Ozone and PM Advance: Kelly Sheckler, (404) 562-9222
EPA Region 5 OH, MI, IN, IL, WI, MN
Ozone and PM Advance: Steve Rosenthal, (312) 886-6052
EPA Region 6 AR, LA, OK, NM, TX
Ozone and PM Advance: Ken Boyce, (214) 665-7259
EPA Region 7 IA, MO, KS, NE
Ozone and PM Advance: Amy Bhesania, (913) 551-7147
EPA Region 8 ND, SD, MT, WY, CO, UT
Ozone Advance: Jody Ostendorf, (303) 312-7814
PM Advance: Crystal Ostigaard, (303) 312-6602
EPA Region 9 NV, AZ, CA, HI
Ozone Advance: Karina O’Connor, (775) 434-8176
PM Advance: Wienke Tax, (415) 947-4192
EPA Region 10 AK, ID, OR, WA
Ozone Advance: Claudia Vaupel, (206) 553-6121
PM Advance: Justin Spenillo, (206) 553-6125