Plan for Achieving Klamath Falls PM-2.5 Air Quality Compliance
The Klamath Falls area in Klamath County, Oregon, marked a significant milestone in its air quality journey on June 6, 2016. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the approval of an attainment plan for the Klamath Falls PM2.5 nonattainment area, which had been proposed on April 13, 2016.
This development followed a series of regulatory actions and plans that had been put in place since the area was designated nonattainment for PM (particulate matter) on November 13, 2009.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) submitted a PM attainment plan on December 12, 2012, and later approved the PM offset plan for the Klamath Falls Nonattainment Area before the EPA approval on June 6, 2016. The EPA's proposal for the approval of the emissions inventory and control measures for the Klamath Falls nonattainment area was made on December 30, 2014, and finalized on August 25, 2015. The effective date for these approvals was September 24, 2015, and June 6, 2016, respectively.
The Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR) have been instrumental in guiding these efforts. They include sections related to air quality, such as definitions, requirements, purposes, applicability, opacity standards, fugitive emissions control, operation and maintenance plans, compliance schedules, and contingency measures. The rules for contingency measures, including existing industrial sources control efficiency, continuous monitoring for industrial sources, contingency measures for new industrial sources, and enhanced curtailment of solid fuel burning devices and fireplaces, are also part of the OAR.
The primary focus of the strategy has been on controlling residential wood combustion through a curtailment program during the winter heating season. This is further outlined in OAR 340-264-1000, which specifies wood burning contingency measures for PM2.5 nonattainment areas.
The Klamath County Clean Air Ordinance 63.06 was adopted on December 31, 2012, and the area was later classified as moderate on June 2, 2014. These measures, combined with the attainment plan, have contributed to the improvement in air quality in the Klamath Falls area.
The EPA's finding of attainment and attainment plan approval for the Klamath Falls PM2.5 nonattainment area is a testament to the collective efforts of the local community, the Oregon DEQ, and the EPA in ensuring cleaner air for all. The rules for open burning control areas, specific open burning rules, and exemptions, outlined in various OAR sections, will continue to play a crucial role in maintaining the improved air quality in the Klamath Falls area.
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