Wildland Fire Policy Revision WESTAR Spring Business Meeting 2008 Dave McNeill Planning Committee Co-Chair Park City, Utah

Guiding Principles Public health / safety = Job 1 Inform and protect the public Evaluate health / welfare impacts during decision making process Collaboration makes sense AQ managers & land managers & the public Policy sets standard used to concur with flagged data for EER

Recommendations EPA expectation that all fires subject to state/local air quality management requirements Definition of “unlikely to recur” should allow for differences in local conditions If SMP is “certified,” EPA should review certification and work quickly with the state to address EPA’s concerns Elements of Best Smoke Management Practices Elements of a Basic Smoke Management Program

Best Smoke Management Practices Alternatives to burn – and use when appropriate Use of Emission Reduction Techniques Contingency Measures for Smoke Impacts Monitors smoke to identify impact No ignition on bad burn day Adequate notice to potentially impacted public / agencies Coordination of multiple simultaneous burns

Elements of Basic SMP Authorization to Burn Minimize Air Pollutant Emissions Burn Plans contain Smoke Management Components (dispersion, monitoring) Public Education / Awareness Surveillance / Enforcement Program Evaluation / Improvement Optimal Air Quality Protection Coordination to Address Cumulative Impacts

Progress to Date In December, EPA received comments from WESTAR In January, EPA received written comments from FLMs In Exceptional Events Rule, EPA committed to address Ag Burning in the final policy (see footnote 8) within 16 months of final EER

Progress to Date (Cont’d) EPA has met with the USDA, but no organization of state Ag agencies (like NACAA, etc) EPA believes they have addressed issues raised by ag agencies Draft to OMB in May After OMB, publish in Fed Register followed by comment period Final Rule out in July or August

Next Steps Planning Committee will review final proposal quickly following publication and try to coordinate comments on how EPA implemented our concerns, the impact of the changes made to meet the FLM concerns, and the impact of the changes made to meet the Ag industry concerns