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By: Kevin Zimmerman, For WHBL -- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler was in Sheboygan Tuesday to announce new air quality attainment designations for Door and inland Sheboygan Counties.  Appearing at Sheboygan’s South Pier along with Congressmen Glenn Grothman and Tom Tiffany, Wheeler said Wisconsin is definitely doing its part for America’s environment and said the EPA would continue supporting Wisconsin communities’ efforts to further improve the health and economic well-being of its citizens.

Wheeler’s announcement officially recognized that the Newport State Park area in Door County and Inland Sheboygan County now meet federal air quality standards for ground-level ozone, which will loosen restrictions that impeded businesses and industries hoping to locate or expand here.

Congressman Grothman applauded the EPA’s decision, calling previous interpretations of the Clean Air Act an “error” that saddled lakeshore counties with the responsibility of addressing polluted air that’s generated elsewhere, but transported here by prevailing winds.  

Non-attainment had been guided by a single air quality sensor located on the shoreline, but a second inland sensor added a few years ago showed clean air was the rule away from the lake.  

Grothman’s comments were echoed by County Administrator Adam Payne and Sheboygan Mayor Mike Vandersteen, who also credited businesses with expending a great deal of time and money to reduce their own emissions.