MUELLER Air Monitoring Station, Decatur, Illinois | United States Environmental Monitoring

MUELLER is an air monitoring station located at 1226 E. Garfield in Decatur, Illinois, United States. Operated by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, it is part of the national network that supports the US EPA Air Quality System (AQS), which tracks criteria pollutants and other atmospheric parameters to ensure compliance with the Clean Air Act. The station operates under the regulatory framework of the US EPA, which sets National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for pollutants such as ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and lead. As a state-operated site, MUELLER likely measures a subset of these pollutants, with data reported to the AQS database for public access and regulatory assessment. Located in Decatur, a city in Macon County with industrial and agricultural activity, the station provides critical data for understanding local air quality trends and potential health impacts. Its monitoring supports community health protection and informs state implementation plans for maintaining or improving air quality standards.

The station's location in Decatur, Illinois, places it in a region with a mix of industrial facilities, including manufacturing and agriculture, which can contribute to emissions of particulate matter and other pollutants. Monitoring at this site helps assess the representativeness of air quality in a mid-sized Midwestern city, supporting the EPA's goal of ensuring that monitoring networks capture population exposure and background conditions. The data contributes to the broader AQS network, which is essential for evaluating long-term trends and regulatory compliance.