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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS Introduction Clean air is a national , state , and local goal , the importance of which is well recognized . The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) of Orange County has demonstrated their concern for protection of the environment and air quality in many actions that they have taken . In 1997 , the BOCC approved creation of the Commission for the Environment (CfE) . The mandate of the Commission is to advise the BOCC on matters affecting the environment, with particular emphasis on environmental protection. To assist the BOCC in identifying issues of concern to its constituents with respect to environmental quality , the Air Quality Committee of the CfE has prepared this report, which summarizes information about air quality in the County . It also includes goals and recommendations for actions that may maintain and/or improve air quality in the County . Status of Air Ouality in the County Under the Clean Air Act, passed by Congress in 1970 , and amended in 1990 , the U . S . Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets and enforces air pollutant limits . Although the Clean Air Act is a federal law, much of the work to carry out the act is performed by the states . North Carolina has a State Implementation Plan that describes how the state will meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act . Air pollutants of concern include " criteria" pollutants defined in the Clean Air Act and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) The HAPs list of 188 pollutants includes a wide range of organic pollutants , such as benzene , 1 , 3 -butadiene , and formaldehyde , and inorganic pollutants such as mercury , arsenic , and cadmium . Air pollutants of concern include the following : Carbon monoxide (CO) Sulfur dioxide ( S02) Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) Ozone (03) Inhalable particulate matter (PMIo) Lead (Pb) Respirable particulate matter (PM2 .5) HAPs ( 188 compounds listed) The State of North Carolina Division of Air Quality is responsible for set up , maintenance, calibration, and operation of sites for monitoring air quality . Not all counties in the state have monitoring sites . The criteria for determining the locations of the monitoring sites vary by pollutant and depend on guidance given by EPA and the needs of the State of North Carolina to meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act . At this time , there are only two air monitoring sites in Orange County . Both sites are located in Chapel Hill . They include the following . i