This layer displays the locations of regulated facilities that discharge pollutants into surface waters in the United States. Location and environmental characteristics about facilities requiring discharge permits is contained in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). Facilities requiring permits include industrial, municipal, and other facilities must obtain permits if their discharges go directly to surface waters (via discrete conveyances such as pipes or man-made ditches). Individual homes that are connected to a municipal system are not reported to the EPA. For more information, please visit the EPA National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System web page.
Ecoegions
Ecoregions are identified by analyzing the patterns and composition of biotic and abiotic phenomena that affect or reflect differences in ecosystem quality and integrity (Omernik 1987, 1995). These phenomena include geology, landforms, soils, vegetation, climate, land use, wildlife, and hydrology. The relative importance of each characteristic varies from one ecological region to another regardless of the hierarchical level. A Roman numeral classification scheme has been adopted for different hierarchical levels of ecoregions, ranging from general regions to more detailed:
Level I – 12 ecoregions in the continental U.S.
Level II – 25 ecoregions in the continental U.S.
Level III -105 ecoregions in the continental U.S.
Level IV – 967 ecoregions in the conterminous U.S.
Explanations of the methods used to define these multi-agency ecoregions are given in Omernik and Griffith (2014), Omernik (1995, 2004), and CEC (1997).
Air Quality – Ozone Levels (O3) by Census Tract, 2015
This layer displays the daily average concentration of ozone and the percentage of days with concentrations of ozone above the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) of 0.075 parts per million in 2015.
Air Quality – Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) by Census Tract, 2016
This layer displays the daily average concentration of fine particulate matter and the percentage of days with concentrations of fine particulate matter above the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) of 35.0 micrograms per cubic meter in 2016.
Air Toxics – Non-Cancer Risk by Census Tract
Layer displays the modeled non-cancer risk associated with air toxics exposure. A hazard index (HI) of 1 or lower means air toxics are unlikely to cause adverse noncancer health effects over a lifetime of exposure.
Air Toxics – Cancer Risk by Census Tract
Layer displays the modeled cancer risk associated with air toxics exposure. Figures represents the likelihood of hazardous exposure per 1 million population.
EJ Screen PM 2.5
The PM 2.5 indicator is a measure of potential exposure to inhalable particles that are 2.5 micrometers or smaller. This is measured in terms of annual average concentration in air measured in micrograms per cubic meter. PM 2.5 information included in EJScreen highlights areas across the U.S. that are not meeting the national ambient air quality standard for PM 2.5. In other words, the levels of PM 2.5 present in these areas are deemed harmful to human health. The PM 2.5 indicator in EJScreen is a measure of potential exposure but not a measure of risk. The raw PM 2.5 data is compiled by census tract which is supplied for use in the tool by EPA’s OAQPS. For air toxics risk measures (as opposed to exposure) users can turn to EJScreen’s other three indicators: cancer risk, respiratory HI, and diesel PM.
EJ Screen Air Toxic Cancer Risk
The air toxics cancer risk indicator is the estimated lifetime inhalation cancer risk from the analyzed
carcinogens in ambient outdoor air, as provided by the 2017 Air Toxics data Update. The value of the
indicator is persons per million lifetime. The data is reported at the Census tract level. Block group level
values are assigned by repeating each parent tract level value.
EJ Screen Diesel Particulate Matter
The Diesel PM indicator is the estimated concentration of Diesel PM as provided by the 2017 Air Toxics
update. The value of the indicator is in µg /m3
, and reported at the Census tract level. Block group level
values are assigned by repeating each parent tract level value.
Air Quality – Ozone Levels (O3) by Census Tract, 2019
This layer displays the daily average concentration of ozone and the percentage of days with concentrations of ozone above the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) of 0.075 parts per million in 2019.