Summary of Fairbanks Particulate Matter (PM-2.5) Attainment Plans
Background
On November 13, 2009, the EPA designated a portion of the Fairbanks North Star Borough as nonattainment for the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 standard (74 FR 58688 (pdf) (95 pp, 491 KB)).
On December 31, 2014, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation submitted a plan for the moderate nonattainment area that demonstrated it was impracticable to attain the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 standard by the December 31, 2015 attainment date. Alaska made additional submissions and provided clarifying information to supplement the moderate area plan in January 2015, March 2015, July 2015, November 2015, March 2016, November 2016, and January 2017. The EPA found that the moderate area plan met the substantive statutory and regulatory requirements and proposed to approve it on February 2, 2017 (82 FR 9035 (pdf) (20 pp, 336 KB)).
The EPA finalized its approval of the moderate area plan on September 8, 2017 (82 FR 42457 (pdf) (14 pp, 255 KB)) (effective October 10, 2017). Note: the EPA approved a separate plan submission as meeting nonattainment new source review requirements for the moderate area on December 31, 2014 (published January 7, 2015) (80 FR 832 (pdf) (2 pp, 216 KB)).
On May 10, 2017, the EPA reclassified the Fairbanks North Star Borough area to serious, effective June 9, 2017 (82 FR 21711) (pdf) (7 pp, 299 KB)). This reclassification triggered additional planning requirements for the Fairbanks North Star Borough serious area.
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation subsequently submitted a serious area plan on December 13, 2019, including new and revised control measures for the area. The EPA determined the serious area plan to be complete and published a notice announcing the determination on February 11, 2020 (85 FR 7760) (pdf) (1 pp, 256 KB)).
On September 24, 2021, the EPA approved a portion of the serious area plan as meeting certain emissions inventory and precursor demonstration requirements, in addition to approving submitted new and revised control measures as strengthening the plan (86 FR 52997) (pdf) (7 pp, 331KB)). Note: the EPA approved a separate plan submission as meeting nonattainment new source review requirements for the serious area on August 29, 2019 (84 FR 45419) (pdf) (4 pp, 330 KB)).
On December 15, 2020, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation submitted a serious area plan revision to the EPA pursuant to Clean Air Act section 189(d).
Summary
The control strategy in the Fairbanks North Star Borough area plan focuses on reducing emissions from home heating devices, in addition to other source categories. Control measures include an opacity limit and mandatory curtailment program for solid-fuel heaters, emissions standards for new wood heater installations, a requirement to burn only dry wood in wood heaters, a woodstove changeout program, and a prohibition on open burning, among other requirements.
Rules
State Rules, 18 AAC 50
- 50.007, Local Government Powers or Obligations Under a Local Air Quality Control Program
- 50.010, Ambient Air Quality Standards
- 50.025, Visibility and Other Special Protection Areas
- 50.065, Open Burning
- 50.075, Solid Fuel-fired Heating Device Visible Emission Standards
- 50.076, Solid Fuel-fired Heating Device Fuel Requirements; Registration of Commercial Wood Sellers
- 50.077, Standards for Wood-fired Heating Devices
- 50.078, Additional Control Measures for a Serious PM-2.5 Nonattainment Area
- 50.079, Provisions for Coal-Fired Heating Devices
- 50.245, Air Quality Episodes and Advisories for Air Pollutants Other Than PM-2.5
- 50.246, Air Quality Episodes and Advisories for PM-2.5
- 50.990, Definitions
Local Rules, Fairbanks North Star Borough Code Chapter 21.28
- 010, Definitions
- 020, Borough listed appliances
- 030, Prohibited acts
- 040, Enhanced voluntary removal, replacement and repair program
- 050, Forecasting exceedances and restrictions in the air quality control zone during an alert
- 060, No other adequate source of heat determination
- 070, Voluntary burn cessation program
Contingency Measures
Contingency measures were not approved with the moderate area plan.
EPA Effective Date
October 10, 2017 (moderate plan)
October 25, 2021 (portion of serious plan)