AIR QUALITY for the Interagency Wilderness Fire Resource Advisor 2011 SOUTHERN AREA ADVANCED FIRE AND AVIATION ACADEMY Discussion Topics: Very Brief Overview of Air Pollution Define Class I Areas and the National Goal for Visibility Clean Air Act direction to EPA Regional Haze and IMPROVE monitoring Clean Air Act direction to Federal Land Managers Agency Policies Group Discussion: What All This Means for a WFRA. Strategies / Guidelines?

NAAQSNAAQS National Ambient Air Quality Standards Pollutant Primary Stds. Averaging Times Secondary Stds. Carbon Monoxide 9 ppm (10 mg/m 3 ) (10 mg/m 3 ) 8-hour (1) None 35 ppm (40 mg/m 3 ) 1-hour (1) None Lead 1.5 µg/m 3 Quarterly Average Same as Primary Nitrogen Dioxide ppm (100 µg/m 3 ) Annual (Arithmetic Mean) Same as Primary Particulate Matter (PM10) 150 µg/m 3 24-hour (3) Same as Primary Particulate Matter (PM 2.5 ) 15.0 µg/m 3 Annual (4) (Arith. Mean) Same as Primary 35 µg/m 3 24-hour (5) Same as Primary Ozone ppm 8-hour (6) Same as Primary 0.12 ppm 1-hour (7) (Applies only in limited areas) Same as Primary Sulfur Oxides 0.03 ppm Annual (Arith. Mean) ppm 24-hour (1) hour (1) 0.5 ppm (1300 µg/m 3 ) Change in Air Quality Standards for Ground- Level Ozone On March 12, 2008, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) changed the primary and secondary air quality standards for ground-level ozone. The new standard was changed from 0.08 parts per million (ppm) to ppm. EPA is in the process of evaluating the need to change this again. Until that decision is issued (2011?), the States will use the 0.08 ppm standard.

Smoke Emissions Ozone (O 3 ) + Carbon Dioxide (≈ 3000 lbs/Ton fuel consumed) Water (≈ 1000 lbs/T) Carbon Monoxide (≈ 300 lbs/T) Hydrocarbons (≈ 15 lbs/T) Nitrogen Oxides (≈ 4 lbs/T) Particulate MatterParticulate Matter (≈ 25 lbs/T) USDA Forest Service Air Resource Management January 2010

Particulate Matter Smoke particles from wood are relatively small < PM 2.5 microns PM microns > PM 10 microns 70.0% 20.0% 10.0% (similar size to pollen) (similar size to fly ash) (similar size to dust) USDA Forest Service Air Resource Management January 2010

2011 SOUTHERN AREA ADVANCED FIRE AND AVIATION ACADEMY CLEAN AIR ACT, as amended 1977 Visibility protection for Class I areas Congress declared a national goal of preventing any future, and remedying any existing, impairment of visibility in mandatory Class I federal areas caused by manmade air pollution.

2011 SOUTHERN AREA ADVANCED FIRE AND AVIATION ACADEMY MANDATORY CLASS I AREAS: International Parks Wilderness Areas > 5000 acres National Memorial Parks > 5000 acres National Parks > 6000 acres existing Aug 7, 1977 Provided the Highest Level of Protection from Air Pollutants

WHERE CAN I FIND LISTS AND MAPS OF CLASS 1 AREAS?

KEY AIR POLLUTANTS and the SOURCES AFFECTING VISBILITY

Air Quality in Class II Wilderness Areas?

CLEAN AIR ACT, as amended 1977 Visibility protection for Class I areas Authorized EPA to issue regulations to assure “reasonable progress” toward meeting the goal. Regional Haze Regulations (RHR)

Great Smoky Mountains National Park View From Look Rock WHAT DOES REGIONAL HAZE DO?

WRAP VISTAS CENRAP MANE-VU Midwest-RPO STATES &TRIBES ADDRESS VSIBILITY IMPAIRMENT AT A REGIONAL LEVEL

I nteragency M onitoring of Pro tected V isual E nvironments IMPROVE Visibility Monitoring Network HOW DO WE MEASURE AND MONITOR REGIONAL HAZE ?

SOUTHERN AREA ADVANCED FIRE AND AVIATION ACADEMY

SOUTHERN AREA ADVANCED FIRE AND AVIATION ACADEMY

Regional Haze Spectrum #1 of 8 9:00:00 AM Representative dv=8 B ext =23 VR=170 Regional Haze Spectrum #6 of 8 9:00:00 AM Representative dv=30 B ext =196 VR=20 / The Visibility Information Exchange Web System (VIEWS) Dolly Sods Wilderness (W Va)

Regional Haze Spectrum #2 of 14 9:00:00 AM Representative dv=4 B ext =16 VR=250 Regional Haze Spectrum #13 of 14 9:00:00 AM Representative dv=28 B ext =156 VR=25 Great Smoky Mountains National Park (TN) The Visibility Information Exchange Web System (VIEWS)

Acadia National Park, Maine CAMNET A Project of the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM).

NATURAL VISIBILITY

5-YEAR AVERAGE ( ) DECIVIEW (DV) IMPROVE DATA ONLY

COARSE MASS AMMONIUM NITRATE PARTICULATES FINE SOIL ORGANIC CARBON SULFATES 5-YEAR AVERAGES ( )

2011 SOUTHERN AREA ADVANCED FIRE AND AVIATION ACADEMY CLEAN AIR ACT, as amended 1977 Visibility protection for Class I areas The federal land manager shall have an affirmative responsibility to protect the air quality related values (including visibility) within Class I areas.

Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) FLM responsibilities include: the review of air quality permit applications from proposed new or modified major pollution sources near Class I areas. the review of air quality permit applications from proposed new or modified major pollution sources near Class I areas. If the FLM determines that emissions from a proposed source will cause or contribute to adverse impacts on the air quality related values (AQRVs) of a Class I area, the permitting authority, typically the State, can deny the permit.

Allow fire its natural role in wilderness areas and fire-dependent ecosystems.Allow fire its natural role in wilderness areas and fire-dependent ecosystems. FEDERAL AGENCY POLICY Integrate air quality considerations into fire management decisions.Integrate air quality considerations into fire management decisions. Reduce the impacts of smoke from wildland fires on visibility in Class I wilderness, while understanding and promoting the need to re-introduce the natural role of fire in the wilderness ecosystems.Reduce the impacts of smoke from wildland fires on visibility in Class I wilderness, while understanding and promoting the need to re-introduce the natural role of fire in the wilderness ecosystems. Provide guidance in fire management plans for responding to natural and human-caused wildland fires and address the effects of fire management decisions on wilderness resources and character, air quality, smoke management, water quality, and other pertinent natural and cultural resource management objectives.Provide guidance in fire management plans for responding to natural and human-caused wildland fires and address the effects of fire management decisions on wilderness resources and character, air quality, smoke management, water quality, and other pertinent natural and cultural resource management objectives. Recognize and consider wilderness values (e.g., air quality and air quality related values) when responding to wildfires in wilderness. Mitigate potential negative or unacceptable impacts of smoke on air quality in such areas as Class I airsheds.Recognize and consider wilderness values (e.g., air quality and air quality related values) when responding to wildfires in wilderness. Mitigate potential negative or unacceptable impacts of smoke on air quality in such areas as Class I airsheds. Manage smoke from management ignited prescribed fires occurring in or adjacent to Class I wilderness areas in a manner that causes the least impact on air quality related valuesManage smoke from management ignited prescribed fires occurring in or adjacent to Class I wilderness areas in a manner that causes the least impact on air quality related values

CLASS DISCUSSION: WFRA STRATEGIES MATERIALS / RESOURCES: STRATEGIES / GUIDELINES: Wilderness Mgmt Plan Wilderness Mgmt Plan Wilderness Air Quality Values Monitoring Plan Wilderness Air Quality Values Monitoring Plan Fire Mgmt Plan Fire Mgmt Plan Forest Plan Forest Plan State Implementation Plan (SIP) State Implementation Plan (SIP) Local Air Quality Specialist Contact Info Local Air Quality Specialist Contact Info Smoke Dispersion Forecast Smoke Dispersion Forecast Incorporate air quality effects (incl. visibility) in wildfire response strategies? Incorporate air quality effects (incl. visibility) in wildfire response strategies? “Burn Outs” planned on good dispersion day? “Burn Outs” planned on good dispersion day? Others? Others?

QUESTIONS?