Air Quality

The AS-EPA Air Quality Branch is responsible for achieving and maintaining air quality in American Samoa that is protective of public health and our natural environment. The AS-EPA Air Quality Program regulates air emissions from a variety of stationary sources within American Samoa through a Permitting Program. The Compliance Program is responsible for ensuring that entities in American Samoa are in compliance with all air pollution laws, rules and permits. Major activities of the compliance program include on-site inspections, compliance assistance, compiling air emission inventories, and enforcement. The Compliance Program is also designed to promote public health by controlling and regulating releases of toxic air pollutants to the ambient air, thus reducing human exposure to these toxic chemicals.

Regulation ASAC 24.05 - Air Emission Rules and Regulations

Air Quality Permitting Program:
The AS-EPA Air Quality Program regulates air emissions from a variety of stationary sources within American Samoa through a Permitting Program. The permitting program ensures that new and existing sources of air pollution abide by a wide range of state and federal air pollution control regulations. Sources of air pollution vary therefore, if you own/operate or plan to import/transfer equipment(s) that have the potential to emit air pollution, you must contact the Air Quality Branch at AS-EPA. If you are unsure if your equipment emits air pollution, please contact the AS-EPA Air Quality Branch.

HCFC Phase-Out Program:
About 98% of ozone depleting substances have now been phased out of production and consumption, since the introduction of the Montreal Protocol in 1987. The AS-EPA regulates the importation and usage of HCFC refrigerant gases. As such, individuals/businesses/organizations planning on importing refrigerants into the territory must fill out the AS-EPA Notice of Intent (NOI) to Import Hydrocholofluorocarbons (HCFCs) Form prior to the importation of the refrigerants. If you have an existing system using R-22, we have a list of acceptable alternatives that retrofit R-22 systems. For a list of acceptable alternatives that you may use in the absence of HCFCs, please click this link: https://www.epa.gov/snap/substitutes-refrigeration-and-air-conditioning

MVEI Program:
A pre-approved MVEI Form is required for any vehicle, motorcycle, and equipment prior to being shipped into the Territory from foreign countries (U.S. manufactured vehicles, motorcycles, and equipment originating from the U.S. are exempted). Failure to provide AS-EPA with a pre-approved MVEI Form for vehicle(s), motorcycle(s), or equipment(s) upon their arrival in port will result in the vehicle, motorcycle, or equipment being detained until such endorsements are met. The importer and shipping agency will be subject to all fines and costs associated with the detaining and returning of the vehicle, motorcycle, or equipment to its original port of embarkation. The American Samoa Customs and Excise Tax Office and AS-EPA Officials will enforce this requirement at the wharfs for compliance.
Processing time for submitted MVEI Form is 2-3 business days.

NOTICE: Pursuant to Executive Order NO. 003-2013, Prohibition of Motor Vehicle Imports.
1.01: Prohibition - It shall be prohibited to import any vehicle to American Samoa that is more than 15 years old. The age of the vehicle shall be determined based on the vehicle's model year and the calendar year.

DERA Grant Information:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) released their new Insular Areas and Tribal Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) competitive Request for Applications (RFA), which will be open until July 9, 2021! We will have three public webinars in the next few weeks to learn more about this RFA. Eligible entities to apply for these funds include an insular area government agency that own/operate diesel fleets or work on transportation and air quality. Applicants may apply up to $250,000 per application in grant funding to reduce diesel air emissions from existing larger diesel vehicles, equipment or engines under this new DERA grant program. Currently operating diesel-fueled on road medium-or heavy-duty diesel vehicles or nonroad equipment will be required to be scrapped and replaced with a new, cleaner similar vehicle, among many other eligible activities. Eligible diesel engines may include scrapping and buying new school or transit buses; medium- or heavy-duty trash, delivery, or utility trucks; construction or agricultural equipment; boats or marine vessels; or diesel generators providing primary electricity, among others. If you have any questions, please contact AS-EPA Air Quality Branch for more information at 633-2304!

DERA Grant Information

Standard Forms


Contact:
Alma Seu, Air Quality Branch Manager
Ph: (684) 633-2304
alma.seu@epa.as.gov