This course is intended for learners who have several years of experience with air quality planning and have general knowledge about area designations but have not yet applied their knowledge to analyze the technical factors that are typically used as part of the area designations process. After completion of this course, learners will be able to apply the technical factors as part of the area designations process.

It is recommended, but not required, that learners complete the course BASC110-SI: Introduction to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and the module “What are Area Designations?” before taking this course. This course is comprised of two modules:

1. Overview of the Process and Timeline for Area Designations
After completion of this module, learners will be able to explain the process and timeline for designating areas under the Clean Air Act.

2. Area Designations Factor Analysis
After completion of this module, learners will be able to apply the area designations factor analysis to identify potential boundaries for a nonattainment area.

This module is structured into five factor-specific lessons. Each lesson provides context for each factor to prepare the learner to then apply a scenario at the end of the lesson. The module concludes with a “weight-of-evidence” lesson, where the learner synthesizes the information that has been applied through each factor-specific lesson. Lastly, this module includes a “real world examples” section and a “helpful resources” section, both of which include links to further information.