FOREWORD Early in 1975@ the American Petroleum Institute (API) requested Environmental Research Technology@ Inc. (ERT) to investigate models relating primary pollutant emissions to photochemical oxidant. Desired was a methodology for evaluating strategies in reduction of photochemical oxidant by controlling (reactive) hydrocarbon emissions. An improvement over the simple nonlinear rollback method then used by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was sought for performing these forecasts. Complexities of photochemical diffusion simulation were to be avoided. This overview document (Part I of the final report) outlines the background of the project and the methodology employed to achieve the goals. It also summarizes the results from this study. A more detailed discussion of the key elements of the program is contained in the three additional volumes of the final report: ?Hydrocarbon Control Strategies for Oxidant Control: Part II - Data Analysis and Uncontrollable Ozone Source Study ?Hydrocarbon Control Strategies for Oxidant Control: Part III - Photochemical Oxidant Modeling by a Markov Chain ?Hydrocarbon Control Strategies for Oxidant Control: Part IV - Houston Emission Inventory and Aerometric Data Compilation for 1973 and 1974 The work described in the final report was carried out in 1975@ 1976 and the early part of 1977. This effort contributes to the significant progress that has been made in the description of photochemical oxidant formation and the role of meteorology@ chemistry and precursor emissions.