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Draft Fairbanks air quality plan & regs
DEC publishes revised plan and associated regulations to tackle severe FNSB air pollution and ultimately comply with Clean Air Act Alan Bailey Petroleum News
As part of actions designed to address serious air quality problems within Fairbanks North Star Borough, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation has published a draft version of a new plan for the borough’s air quality nonattainment area. The agency has also published draft revisions to air quality regulations that need to be implemented to put the plan into operation. DEC requires comments on the proposals by July 26.
The plan - a serious state implementation plan, or SIP - has been mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency, to address major problems with fine particulates in the Fairbanks air, primarily resulting from the use of wood burning stoves to heat buildings during the winter. Winter thermal inversions tend to exacerbate the problem by trapping the particulates close to ground level. Fairbanks air quality often fails to meet air quality standards required under the Clean Air Act, with resulting impacts on the health of Fairbanks residents.
Plan and regulatory changes In ramping up from an existing moderate SIP to a serious SIP, the state proposes a number of plan changes and additions, supported by appropriate regulations. The thresholds for instigating burn bans will be lowered; only low sulfur diesel fuel will be allowed in oil-fueled heaters; coal-fired heaters and uncertified heaters must be removed by December 2024, or when homes are sold or leased; heaters more than 25 years old must be removed or replaced by December 2024; and there are stricter emission requirements for new wood-fired heaters.
The proposed plan also introduces stringent new rules, designed to prevent the burning of moist wood, a significant cause of particulate emissions: Starting in October 2021, strict rules would apply to the operations of wood vendors.
Major industrial emissions sources will need to be controlled by best available technology.
Deadline cannot be met Although the federal deadline for attaining the required air quality standards is the end of this year, the agencies have realized that this deadline cannot be met in practice: The SIP has been designed in expectation of a longer timeframe for attainment. And there are other initiatives proposed or in play to address the Fairbanks air quality problems. For example, the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority sponsored Interior Energy Project, being conducted by Interior Gas Utility, is seeking to boost the availability of affordable natural gas in the Fairbanks region, to encourage residents and businesses to convert to the use of natural gas for heating buildings.
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