The Office of Air Resources is responsible for the preservation, protection and improvement of the air resources of the State. This is accomplished mainly through regulating the emission of air pollutants from stationary sources, and more recently, from mobile sources. Planning, air pollutant emission inventory, and air quality monitoring functions are also major activities. The pollutants regulated fall into two broad categories, criteria pollutants and air toxics. Examples are ground level ozone and carbon monoxide.
Examples are benzene and trichloroethylene.
Rhode Island, and much of the Northeast U.S., does not meet the health-based standard for ozone. Much of the work of the Office of Air Resources is related to assuring the State improves its air quality in order to attain the standard on the schedule required by the federal Clean Air Act. The OAR is working to implement new emission reduction programs and is working with other states to assure emission reductions in the region help Rhode Island attain the standard. By 1999, attain the ozone standard. By 2001, issue initial operating permits to all applicants.