Division of Air Quality
Cleveland Department of Public Health, Division of Air Quality (DAQ) serves as the Ohio EPA (OEPA) Delegated Agent for administration of the air pollution control program for all of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County. The DAQ, is driven by the primary objective to ensure that regulated air pollutants from industrial and commercial sources are in compliance with federal, state and local air regulations, and to monitor levels of criteria specific air pollutants throughout Cleveland and Cuyahoga County.
The DAQ is composed of three sections that work together to achieve the objective of meeting Federal clean air standards. The Field Monitoring Section measures air pollution levels at more than 20 sites in Cuyahoga County for six National Ambient air Criteria Pollutants. These measurements determine compliance to the overall air quality requirements in the city and county. The Engineering Section operates the permit system that requires all industrial and commercial sources of air pollution to register and obtain permits. The permit system identifies sources and establishes limits on the amount of emissions released into the atmosphere. The Enforcement Section maintains surveillance on pollution sources and responds to complaints from the public about a variety of air pollution issues.
All sections work together on the common goal to improve the quality of life in the City of Cleveland, allowing Cleveland to be a desirable place to live and work.
Read more about the history of the Division of Air Quality here.
Engineering Section
The Engineering Section prepares Permits to Install (PTI) and Permits to Operate (PTO). The permits are submitted to OEPA for review and issuance. There are three types of Permits to Operate: State Permit to Operate, Title V Permit to Operate, and Federally Enforceable State Operating Permit (FESOP). A State Permit to Operate is required of all industrial and commercial entities that can emit air pollutants. A Title V permit is required for entities with a potential to emit large amounts of pollutants. A FESOP applies to companies that agree to limit operations, or production rates to ensure that emissions are below the levels that would cause the company to obtain a Title V permit.
The Engineering Section also performs facility inspections, monitors emission unit performance tests, evaluates and approves test results, and assists in the preparation of enforcement action requests.
Enforcement Section
The Enforcement Section is responsible for investigating citizen complaints, inspecting facilities, inspecting asbestos demolition and renovation projects, monitoring emission unit performance tests, inspecting gas stations for emission control equipment, inspecting automobile dealers to verify that emission equipment has not been tampered, and preparing enforcement action requests. The goal of these inspections is to assess the compliance status of the facility, collect evidence of any specific violation of any environmental law or regulation, create a visible presence of the DAQ to the regulated facility, and to help deter violations at a facility. Enforcement action can be taken in response to violations noted.
Monitoring Section
The Field Monitoring Section maintains and operates 56 ambient air monitors at more than 20 sites located throughout Cuyahoga County. The data obtained from the monitors provide an assessment of the general air quality. They do not monitor emissions from a specific source. The monitors sample ambient air for one or more of the six criteria pollutants for which National Ambient Air Quality Standards have been set. These criteria pollutants are: carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, and lead. Additionally, a radiation monitor at Burke Lakefront Airport is operated for the Ohio Department of Health as part of that agency's monitoring of the Perry Nuclear Power Plant. The Field Monitoring Section also maintains and operates two air toxic monitoring sites as part of the Cleveland Air Toxic Pilot Project funded through the United States Environmental Protection Agency.