- National Ambient Air Quality Standards: - National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS): : A National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS): is In 1971, EPA promulgated NAAQS for six classes of air pollutants. According to the Clean Air Act, the purpose of the NAAQS is to protect the public from air pollutants "with an adequate margin of safety" (primary NAAQS) and to promote the public welfare (secondary NAAQS). Under the Clean Air Act, individual states are required to develop plans for implementing, enforcing, and maintaining the standards. Several states have considered including heat island mitigation in their air quality plans for ozone, a "criteria" air pollutant. (A "criteria air pollutant" is one of the six classes of air pollutants for which EPA has established a NAAQS.)