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EPA approves Fairbanks air quality plan
Alan Bailey for Petroleum News
The Environmental Protection Agency has approved the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation's revised air quality plan for Fairbanks North Slope Borough, EPA announced on Oct. 29. The new version of the plan has removed a contentious provision requiring home sellers to obtain an energy rating and imposing compliance requirements on realtors during a home sale.
"This unnecessary and costly provision would hurt Alaskans, including the many service members who sell their houses when deployed," EPA said.
The state implementation plan The air quality plan is maintained within the Fairbanks PM2.5 State Implementation Plan, or SIP. The EPA had proposed approval of an earlier version of the SIP in January, 2025. However, after two 30-day public comment periods, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation withdrew the portion of the plan relating to the requirement for home sellers. EPA has now approved this revised plan.
"Alaskans shouldn't have to sacrifice their way of life to protect human health and the environment," said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. "Today's updated PM2.5 State Implementation Plan proves that both goals are achievable."
"This approval is the result of years of hard work and collaboration," said ADEC Commissioner Randy Bates. "We appreciate the partnership with EPA and the Borough, and we remain committed to practical solutions that protect Alaskans and their way of life."
"I want to thank the EPA for working closely with Alaskans to find practical solutions that recognize Alaska's unique challenges," said Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy. "This plan reflects a collaboration between state, local and federal partners who share a common goal of clean air for the people of Fairbanks and surrounding communities."
Alaska's congressional delegation also expressed their strong support for the EPA decision.
Severe air quality issues The Fairbanks region suffers from severe air quality issues, in particular because of the widespread use of wood burning stoves and oil burning furnaces to heat houses. Pollution also results from coal and oil-fired power generation, and from vehicle exhaust. Winter thermal inversions tend to trap cold air, holding pollutants close to ground level, thus causing people to inhale polluted air.
ADEC has been negotiating with EPA for several years, trying to reach an agreement for a protocol that would adequately address efforts to meet federal air quality requirements in the region. Collaborative pollution modeling work by EPA and ADEC determined that residential home heating is the biggest source of air pollution in the Fairbanks region.
The Interior Energy Project, a project sponsored by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority to promote the use of natural gas for heating homes in the Fairbanks region, has seen significant progress. Interior Gas Utility, the Fairbanks based gas utility, has been expanding gas supplies to homes and businesses in the region.
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