Metro 4 History

Metro 4 is a Tennessee corporation incorporated March 29, 1996 with the intent of providing a voice for local air pollution control agencies in the Southeast - EPA's Region 4.  Local agencies in five southeastern states were charter members.  More recently, in the mid-2000s, Orange County, Florida became the 17th member of Metro 4.

Prior to the formation of Metro 4, the locals operated under a less formal organization called the "Metro 4 Association."

In its earliest years, Metro 4 operated with assistance of a training coordinator under a partnership with the University of Florida to administer a training grant for the southeastern agencies. In 2001, Metro 4 determined that it was desirable to establish permanent offices in the Atlanta, Georgia area in collaboration with its sister agency, Southeastern States Air Resource Managers, Inc. (SESARM).  In November of 2001, Metro 4 and SESARM voted to hire a full-time executive director and other necessary staff in the Atlanta area to support the needs of their member agencies. In early 2002, Metro 4/SESARM’s offices were temporarily located in the offices of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division’s Air Protection Branch. Beginning June 1, 2002, Metro 4/SESARM occupied their first free-standing offices in Forest Park, Georgia.  After more than a decade at that location, Metro 4 and SESARM moved to their current location in Stockbridge, Georgia in 2013.

Throughout its history, Metro 4's mission has remained constant - to help the staff of local air pollution control agencies to improve their knowledge and effectiveness in management of air quality through advocacy, faciliating communications, scheduling and hosting directors' meetings, program manager workshops, and training courses, conducting technical air quality analysis, and providing travel support.