Back to Tribal Air Program FAQsTribal Air Quality Management - Networking and Contact Information
REGIONAL PLANNING ORGANIZATIONS (RPOs)
What are Regional Planning Organizations (RPOs)?
Regional Planning Organizations (RPOs) generally act as a forum for state, tribal, local, and regional air pollution control representatives.
RPOs work to develop strategies to address regional-scale air quality issues, focusing primarily on visibility improvement and related issues such as regional haze, acid deposition, and pollution transport.
RPOs support research, policy development, training and technical assistance, and other activities that help achieve the mission of their programs.
There are several organizations that can be considered RPOs, however, only five RPOs receive funding from the USEPA in order to conduct their activities.
Western Regional Air Partnership (WRAP)
covers areas within the boundaries of WA, OR, CA, ID, MT, NV, AZ, UT, WY, CO, NM, ND, and SD.
Central States Regional Air Planning Association (CenRAP) covers areas within the boundaries of NE, KS, OK, TX, MN, IA, MO, AR, and LA. CenRAP is affiliated with the Central States Air Resources Agencies (CenSARA).
Midwest Regional Planning Organization (Midwest RPO) covers the areas within the boundaries of IL, IN, MI, OH and WI. The Midwest RPO is affiliated with the Lake Michigan Air Director’s Consortium (LADCO)
Ozone Transport Commission (OTC) covers the areas within the boundaries of ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT, NY, PA, NJ, MD, DE, and Washington D.C.
Southeast States Air Resource Managers (SESARM) covers the areas within the boundaries of FL, MS, AL, GA, SC, NC, TN, KY, VA and WV.
Central States Regional Air Planning Association (CenRAP) covers areas within the boundaries of NE, KS, OK, TX, MN, IA, MO, AR, and LA. CenRAP is affiliated with the Central States Air Resources Agencies (CenSARA).
Midwest Regional Planning Organization (Midwest RPO) covers the areas within the boundaries of IL, IN, MI, OH and WI. The Midwest RPO is affiliated with the Lake Michigan Air Director’s Consortium (LADCO)
Ozone Transport Commission (OTC) covers the areas within the boundaries of ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT, NY, PA, NJ, MD, DE, and Washington D.C.
Southeast States Air Resource Managers (SESARM) covers the areas within the boundaries of FL, MS, AL, GA, SC, NC, TN, KY, VA and WV.
GENERAL EXTERNAL RPO LINKS:
Contains general information about SAMI and links to SAMI activities, reports, and contact information. SAMI
covers the areas within AL, GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, VA, and WV. Topics include: integrated assessment, education
and outreach, visibility, ozone, acid rain, and more.
Contains links to resources, programs, partners, contact information, news, etc. NESCAUM covers the areas within
NY, NJ, CT, RI, MA, VT, NH, and ME. Topics include: regional haze, criteria pollutants, acid deposition, smog,
CAA, and many more.
Contains information on and links to MARAMA contacts, news, resources, etc. MARAMA covers the areas within Washington
DC, DE, MD, NJ, NC, PA, VA, and WV. Topics include: ozone, regional haze, emissions inventories, Requests for Proposals,
and more.
Contains links to information about WESTAR programs, activities, documents and reports, training, committees and work groups,
member states and related websites. Topics include: air pollution training, and more.
How can tribes benefit from being involved in RPOs? Tribal involvement in RPOs is not only beneficial for regional air quality assessments, planning efforts, and policy-making, it can also benefit the tribes who are involved in RPOs. Tribal staff can attend conferences, trainings, seminars, and other events sponsored by RPOs, in order to:
Gain understanding of regional air quality issues
Provide insight on tribal concerns
Participate in committees, work groups, and research or other data gathering efforts
Take advantage of the technical and financial services many RPOs provide
Enhance the efforts of RPOs in bringing together air pollution control entities to address issues of transboundary air pollution
Network with other groups and individuals involved in controlling air pollution
Provide insight on tribal concerns
Participate in committees, work groups, and research or other data gathering efforts
Take advantage of the technical and financial services many RPOs provide
Enhance the efforts of RPOs in bringing together air pollution control entities to address issues of transboundary air pollution
Network with other groups and individuals involved in controlling air pollution
Apart from direct involvement with RPOs, tribes can collect air quality data, from emissions inventories and air monitoring, and make this data available to RPOs for their research and policy planning efforts. The Tribal Data Development Working Group (TDDWG) [TDDWG]is a working group of the WRAP that is supporting efforts to help fill air quality data gaps in Indian Country. Tribes interested in air quality should investigate the various resources available through RPOs.
GENERAL EXTERNAL LINKS:
Contains general information and links to news, resources, tools, policy, contacts and committees, and more.
WRAP covers the areas within WA OR, ID, MT, WY, ND, SD, CA, NV, UT, CO, AZ, and NM. Topics include: monitoring,
smoke management, emissions, modeling, regional haze, an much more.
Contains information about the TDDWG, links to meeting minutes, reports, and the rest of the WRAP site. Topics
include: WRAP, tribal air quality data, and more.
Contains links to information about WESTAR programs, activities, documents and reports, training, committees and
work groups, member states and related websites. Topics include: air pollution training, and more.
Contains general information, and links to CenSARA, OTC, WRAP, and Midwest RPO, and other contact information.
CenRAP covers the areas within NE, KS, OK, TX, MN, IA, MO, AR, and LA. Topics include: Requests For Proposals,
Best Available Retrofit Technology, current events, presentations, and more.
Contains general information, and links to training schedules, CenRAP, member states websites, and other sites.
CenSARA covers the areas within NE, KS, OK, TX, MN, IA, MO, AR, and LA. Topics include: Requests For Proposals,
training, and contact information.
Contains links to training, news, technical activities, contacts, and other resources. Midwest RPO covers the
areas within IL, IN, MI, OH and WI. Topics include: regional haze, modeling, visibility, and more.
Contains links to training, news, technical activities, contacts, and other resources. LADCO covers the areas
within IL, IN, MI, and WI. Topics include: emissions modeling, photochemical modeling, monitoring, data analysis,
air toxics, and more.
Contains links to news, contacts, members, Requests for Proposals, and other activities of the OTC. The OTC
covers areas within Washington DC, VA, MD, DE, NJ, PA, NY, CT, RI, MA, VT, NH, and ME. Topics include: ozone,
NOx, VOC, regional haze, and more.
Contains general information about SAMI and links to SAMI activities, reports, and contact information. SAMI
covers the areas within AL, GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, VA, and WV. Topics include: integrated assessment, education
and outreach, visibility, ozone, acid rain, and more.
Contains links to resources, programs, partners, contact information, news, etc. NESCAUM covers the areas within
NY, NJ, CT, RI, MA, VT, NH, and ME. Topics include: regional haze, criteria pollutants, acid deposition, smog,
CAA, and many more.
Contains information on and links to MARAMA contacts, news, resources, etc. MARAMA covers the areas within
Washington DC, DE, MD, NJ, NC, PA, VA, and WV. Topics include: ozone, regional haze, emissions inventories,
Requests for Proposals, and more.
CONTACTS AND REFERENCES
Can I contact other tribal staff with expertise in a certain aspect of a Tribal Air Program?
Tribal professionals listed in the following reference lists have given ITEP permission to use their names as references and points-of-contact for other tribes wishing to gain further perspective on tribal air quality-related issues.
Emissions Inventories
Tribes that have conducted their own Emissions Inventories
Tribes that have worked with contractors to conduct and Emissions Inventory
Air Monitoring
Tribes that have conducted monitoring or criteria pollutants
Tribes that have conducted meteorological monitoring
Tribes that have conducted monitoring for acid deposition
Tribes that have conducted visibility or IMPROVE monitoring
Tribes that have conducted HAPs or air toxics monitoring
TAS/primacy recognition under the Clean Air Act
Air Pollution Control Regulations
Major and Minor Source Permitting
Tribal Implementation Plans
Regional Planning Organization Involvement
Tribes that have conducted their own Emissions Inventories
Tribes that have worked with contractors to conduct and Emissions Inventory
Air Monitoring
Tribes that have conducted monitoring or criteria pollutants
Tribes that have conducted meteorological monitoring
Tribes that have conducted monitoring for acid deposition
Tribes that have conducted visibility or IMPROVE monitoring
Tribes that have conducted HAPs or air toxics monitoring
TAS/primacy recognition under the Clean Air Act
Air Pollution Control Regulations
Major and Minor Source Permitting
Tribal Implementation Plans
Regional Planning Organization Involvement
Contacts and References
US EPA Regional Tribal Air Contacts [pdf of EPA RTAC]
ITEP Staff
RPOs
Intertribal Organizations
Back to Tribal Air Program FAQs
Last updated: March 29, 2010