While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is lauding it approval of the Fairbanks North Star Borough fine particulate air quality plan, not all residents are saluting the Clean Air Act flag.
Because of air inversions, when the coldest days of winter hit subarctic Fairbanks and locals light up their wood stoves – a heavy layer of white smoke rolls over the area – creating the highest levels of particulate pollution in the country – pollution that has been recorded at levels significantly worse than Beijing, China.
With Tuesday’s announcement from the EPA, those in the Golden Heart of Alaska will focus on meeting the more stringent area requirements that will be needed in the serious area plan for achieving clean, healthy air quality for Borough residents.
In June 2017, EPA reclassified the Fairbanks area from moderate to serious nonattainment – which shifts the implementation requirement from all reasonably available to best available emissions control technologies and measures. The difference between the two is significant.
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| Senator Tammie Wilson |
Representative Tammie Wilson (R-D3): “At least before now we had a cold weather threshold, where if it got colder than negative 20 you didn’t have to go by any of these rules – that went out the door too.”
Fairbanks residents are frustrated and divided. Many have taken advantage of a long running changeout program which provides funding to upgrade wood stoves and hydronic heaters to cleaner heating appliances – but until the magic fairy of low cost, clean burning natural gas arrives to town – many simply will not be able to afford to heat with oil once the prices rebound.
With the new EPA classification – when high levels of fine particulate pollution are expected, outright bans on the use of wood heaters will go into effect.
A new ballot measure has been gathering signatures, it says that the borough cannot regulate how folks heat their homes – except through the gas project. North Pole Representative Tammie Wilson is upset with measures she sees as unreasonable, and is concerned about the real world impacts on locals.
Representative Tammie Wilson (R-D3): “Between the Permanent Fund being cut, and now telling you that we can’t use the wood that everybody has put up for the winter, I think you are going to see a lot of people look at moving.”
The approved moderate air quality plan focuses on reducing emissions from residential heating sources — wood stoves and hydronic heaters — that contribute to high particulate air pollution levels. There are regulations prohibiting dense smoke from chimneys and requiring use of seasoned wood.
The EPA awarded a $2.5 million targeted airshed grant targeted at reducing air pollution in the Fairbanks North Star Borough through a wood stove changeout program. In September, EPA representatives will visit the Borough to meet with state and local officials and air quality planners to support the development of the serious air quality plan.
30 days after it is published in the Federal Register EPA’s final action will become effective and the Fairbanks moderate air quality plan will become a part of the federally enforceable State Implementation Plan. The prepublication notice is available at: https://www.epa.gov/ak/fairbanks-air-quality-plan.
Several scientific studies have linked exposure to fine particulates like those found during the inversions with serious human health problems, including increased hospital admissions and emergency room visits by those with respiratory ailments and cardiovascular disease. More information on fine particulates is available at: https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution.
Story as aired on KSRM News:
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