State gets EPA Fairbanks air quality grant

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a $14.7 million Targeted Air Shed grant to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation to help the Fairbanks North Star Borough improve air quality in the borough’s non-attainment area.

The grant was developed to help reduce air pollution in communities with the highest levels of fine particulate matter and ozone ambient air concentrations in the nation.

The state and borough said wood smoke is the main source of fine particulate matter pollution in the borough, and funded projects will help reduce these fine particulate emissions over the five-year life of the grant.

EPA said the borough will use the grant to continue a woodstove changeout and conversion program with a goal of converting more wood burning appliances to liquid or gas-fueled heating appliances. The agency said wood smoke contributes 60% to 80% of fine particle pollution levels measured in the FNSB.

“The state, local leaders and the community are making progress and air quality is improving,” said EPA Region 10 Administrator Chris Hladick. “This round of EPA’s Targeted Airshed Grant funding will further boost the community’s efforts to reduce wood smoke pollution and improve air quality in the Borough.”

“Through appropriate wood stove replacement realized through this grant and our continued cooperative efforts outlined in our State Implementation Plan, we look forward to reaching attainment by 2024,” said DEC Commissioner Jason Brune.

The largest project to be funded will be the Wood Stove Change Out Program in the FNSB, assisting local residents to remove or replace higher polluting devices 25 years or older by 2024.

The FNSB will administer the program and document benefits.

“The Targeted Air Shed Grant award will give our community a fighting chance to come into compliance with the EPA PM2.5 air quality standards,” said FNSB Mayor Bryce Ward. “The funding will allow us to continue to provide the wood stove change out program and manage vendor capacity to complete the woodstove exchanges.”

- KRISTEN NELSON