SESARM History

SESARM is a Georgia corporation incorporated February 24, 1997 with the intent of providing a voice for state air pollution control agencies in the Southeast.  The  eight EPA Region 4 states were charter members.  More recently, in 2013, Virginia and West Virginia became the ninth and tenth members of SESARM.  Both of the latter states are in EPA's Region 3.

Prior to the formation of SESARM, the state air pollution control agencies operated without a formal structure.

In its earliest years, SESARM relied on its sister agency, Metro 4 Inc. which had established a training coordinator position in a partnership with the University of Florida to administer a training grant for the southeastern agencies. In 2001, SESARM determined that it was desirable to establish permanent offices in the Atlanta, Georgia area in collaboration with Metro 4. 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, SESARM's mission has remained constant - to help the staff of state 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.