EPA proposes revisions to Federal Air Rules for Reservations, seeks public comment
Seattle (Oct. 14, 2022) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposes revisions to the Federal Air Rules for Reservations and is soliciting public comments until Jan. 10, 2023.
Full details on the proposed changes and comment submission instructions are available on the EPA FARR website.
Created in 2005, the FARR are a set of basic air quality regulations established under the Clean Air Act that applies to 39 Indian reservations in Idaho, Oregon and Washington. The FARR is unique to EPA Region 10 and provides important tools for EPA and Tribes to effectively manage activities that cause air pollution.
The proposed revisions clarify aspects of the rules, improve implementation, incorporate recent air quality improvement strategies and extend the FARR to three new reservation lands.
One of the proposed revisions limits future installations of residential wood burning devices to only those certified by the EPA. This also limits burning materials to untreated wood and solid fuels designed specifically for these devices, like wood pellets and dry wood.
Another rule EPA proposes only applies to the Colville, Nez Perce and Yakama Reservations, and establishes a curtailment program for residential wood burning devices. A curtailment program restricts the use of wood burning devices during periods of poor air quality.
EPA also proposes extending the FARR to the Snoqualmie Indian Reservation, the Cowlitz Indian Reservation and the lands held in trust for the Samish Indian Nation, none of which had reservation lands in 2005. The proposed revisions would also clarify that the FARR applies to all lands held in trust for a Tribe in Idaho, Oregon and Washington that have not been formally designated as a reservation.
The public can request a virtual meeting to discuss the FARR revisions by contacting Sandra Brozusky at brozusky.sandra@epa.gov before Oct. 27.