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Source: Daily Environment Report: News Archive > 2011 > March > 03/15/2011 > News > Air Pollution: EPA Approves California Plan for Reducing Regional Haze in Parks, Wilderness Areas
Air Pollution
EPA Approves California Plan for Reducing Regional Haze in Parks, Wilderness Areas
LOS ANGELES—California's strategy to reduce regional haze in national parks and wilderness areas meets federal Clean Air Act requirements, according to a proposed rule the Environmental Protection Agency will publish March 15.
EPA is proposing to approve revisions to the state's 2007 state implementation plan for ozone and fine particulates (PM-2.5) designed to comply with a 1999 federal rule requiring to states to take steps to improve visibility at national parks and scenic areas.
California's plan established goals for improving visibility at the 29 national areas within the state and those elsewhere in other Western states.
Approved by the California Air Resources Board in 2009, the plan demonstrates “reasonable progress” toward improving visibility by 2018 in all areas, according to EPA. It is part of a multi-state effort to reduce haze in national parks in the West.
The state's plan relies on its ongoing air pollution control programs. EPA said it also contains all the required elements including: base and future year emissions inventories, baseline and natural visibility conditions, best available retrofit technology analysis, a future monitoring strategy to assure progress, and plans to consult with affected states, tribes, and federal land managers.
CARB's plan identified nitrogen oxides from mobile sources as the largest source of emissions that impair visibility at the parks and wilderness areas. The agency also found wildfires are another chief source of pollutants that contribute to regional haze in the Western parks and wilderness areas.
EPA will accept written comments on the proposed rule (Docket ID EPA-R09-OAR-2011-0131) for 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.
By Carolyn Whetzel
California's Regional Haze Rule is available at http://www.arb.ca.gov/planning/reghaze/rhplan.htm.
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