ohioair-qualityleadnaaqssipregulatory-update

EPA Redesignates Canton to Attainment - 2008 Lead NAAQS

EPA has determined that the Canton Nonattainment Area attained the 2008 Lead (Pb) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and is redesignating the area to attainment. The action, published in the Federal Register on July 16, 2026, also approves the attainment plan Ohio EPA submitted on September 19, 2024 and the maintenance plan Ohio submitted on April 25, 2025. Here is what the action covers and what it means for practitioners working in the Canton area.

What EPA Approved

The Federal Register action bundles several related approvals:

  • Attainment plan: EPA approved the attainment plan for the Canton Nonattainment Area, submitted by Ohio EPA on September 19, 2024.
  • Emissions inventory: The approval includes the comprehensive lead emissions inventory Ohio submitted with the attainment plan.
  • Attainment determination: EPA determined the Canton area has attained the 2008 Pb NAAQS.
  • Maintenance plan: EPA approved Ohio’s April 25, 2025 maintenance plan for continued attainment.
  • Redesignation: EPA is acting on Ohio’s request to redesignate the area from nonattainment to attainment.

What this means in practice: the Canton area moves from nonattainment status to maintenance status. The controls and commitments in the approved maintenance plan become part of Ohio’s State Implementation Plan (SIP), the federally enforceable set of rules Ohio uses to meet the NAAQS. For the specific control measures and the maintenance demonstration, read the plan documents referenced in the Federal Register notice.

How This Affects Ohio Work

Air Permitting in the Canton Area

Redesignation changes the permitting framework for new and modified lead-emitting sources in the area. Nonattainment-area new source review requirements no longer apply once the redesignation takes effect; sources are instead permitted under the attainment-area framework. Check the Federal Register notice for the effective date of the final rule before relying on the new status for a pending application.

Ohio note: Ohio’s SIP is administered by Ohio EPA’s Division of Air Pollution Control (DAPC). Permit applicants in Stark County should confirm with DAPC which maintenance plan provisions apply to their source category.

Lead Site Work

This action addresses ambient air quality only. It does not change lead standards for soil, dust, paint, or drinking water, and it has no effect on Ohio Department of Health lead abatement requirements or EPA residential soil screening values. For those values, see the lead standards quick reference.

Due Diligence Near Lead Sources

The area’s nonattainment history remains relevant for Phase I Environmental Site Assessment work. Properties near the lead-emitting facilities that drove the original designation may warrant closer review of historical deposition to surrounding soils, even though the ambient air issue is now resolved.

Bottom Line

EPA determined the Canton area attained the 2008 lead NAAQS, approved Ohio’s attainment and maintenance plans, and is redesignating the area to attainment. Permitting in the area shifts from the nonattainment framework to the maintenance framework, while soil, dust, and paint lead standards are unchanged. For lead values across media, see our standards pages, and for program background, review the Ohio lead program overview.