Interim Air Quality Policy on Wildland and Prescribed Fires

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Interim Air Quality Policy on Wildland and
Prescribed Fires
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Interim?

• Issues not addressed by policy in May 1998
• Agricultural Burning
• Policy currently under development
• Collaboration with USDA
• Regional Haze Impacts
• Guidance under development
• The policy is final for air quality impacts from
  wildland and prescribed fires managed for
  resource benefits.

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Policy Goals

• Protect public health and welfare
• Mitigate AQ impacts from smoke
• PM NAAQS indicator for health
• Visibility impairment indicator of welfare
• Allow fire to function in natural role
• Maintenance of healthy ecosystems

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Applicability

• Fires used to achieve resource benefits in the
  wildlands
• Public, Private Indian lands
• NOT TO open burning
• Residential, commercial, industrial sites
• Land clearing or construction waste
• Agricultural waste, crop residue, CRP

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Principles for Implementing Policy

• Promote good wildland mgt. practices
• Treat sources equitably
• Encourage collaborative relationships
• Give flexibility to States Tribes
• Expect all stakeholders to act in good faith
• Hold all stakeholders accountable

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Interim Air Quality Policy on Wildland and
Prescribed Fires

• Air Quality Managers (AQM) and Federal Land
  Managers (FLM) collaborate
• Smoke impacts from prescribed fires and wildland
  fire use count
• States/Tribes should implement Smoke Management
  Programs

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Basic Smoke Management Program

• Authorization mechanism
• Document actions to minimize emissions
• Smoke management components of prescribed fire
  plans
• Public education and awareness
• Surveillance and enforcement
• Program evaluation

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Smoke Management Components of Burn Plans

• Document actions to minimize emissions
• Evaluate smoke dispersion
• Identify smoke sensitive areas
• Specify dispersion criteria, model impacts
• Set test fires
• Public notification exposure reduction
• Air quality monitoring

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EPA encourages FLMs to

• Work with State AQMs on fire mgt. plans, Regional
  visibility plans
• Include smoke management components in each
  prescribed fire plan

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Interim Air Quality Policy on Wildland and
Prescribed Fires

• Available at
• www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/t1pgm.html
• Contact Charlene Spells
• [phone]
• E-mail spells.charlene_at_epa.gov

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For More Information

• Overall Fire Issues Coordinator
• Sharon Nizich, OAQPS, 919/541-2825,
  nizich.sharon_at_epa.gov
• Agricultural Burning
• Larry Elmore, OAQPS, 919/541-5433,
  elmore.larry_at_epa.gov
• Fire Emissions
• Tom Pace, OAQPS, 919/541-5634, pace.tom_at_epa.gov
• Wildland and Prescribed Fire
• Charlene Spells, OAQPS, 919/541-5255,
  spells.charlene_at_epa.gov
• Natural Events
• Larry Wallace, OAQPS, 919/541-0906,
  wallace.larry_at_epa.gov