State holds meeting on ozone standards

WINTERVILLE, N.C. — The state Division of Air Quality is holding the last of several meetings on the designation of areas not attaining the federal ozone standard in the state.

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Monday at Pitt Community College in Winterville.

Non-attainment areas are areas that don’t meet federal air quality standards for ozone and other pollutants.

The agency is seeking input on developing North Carolina’s recommendations on non-attainment areas for a new eight-hour ozone standard. Gov. Beverly Perdue must submit recommendations to the Environmental Protection Agency by March 12, and the EPA plans to designate non-attainment areas by March 12, 2010.

North Carolina’s non-attainment areas likely will include the Charlotte, Triangle, Triad, Fayetteville, Hickory, Asheville, Rocky Mount and Greenville metropolitan areas.

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