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Regional Haze

Most Recent Action

The EPA approved Wisconsin’s Regional Haze SIP on August 7, 2012.

Background

In 1999, the EPA promulgated the Regional Haze Rule to improve air quality in national parks and wilderness areas. The rule requires states, in coordination with the EPA, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Forest Service to develop and implement air quality protection plans to reduce pollution that causes visibility impairment in 156 federally-protected parks and wilderness areas (mandatory Class I areas). The rule creates a regulatory goal of zero impairment of visibility from manmade emissions in these areas by 2064.

There are no mandatory Class I areas in the state; however, Wisconsin impacts the Boundary Waters wilderness area in Minnesota, the Seney wilderness area in Michigan, and Isle Royale national park in Michigan. In addition, the State of Vermont determined that Wisconsin significantly contributes to visibility impairment at Lye Brook Wilderness Area.

The first State implementation plans (SIPs) for regional haze were due in December 2007. States must submit a report to the EPA every 5 years evaluating progress towards the reasonable progress goal, and submit a SIP revision by July 31, 2018 and every ten years thereafter.

On January 9, 2009 the EPA issued findings that 37 states, including Wisconsin, missed Clean Air Act deadlines for submitting plans, or elements of plans, for implementing EPA’s Regional Haze Program. Under the CAA section 110(c), EPA is required to promulgate a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) within two years of the effective date of a finding that a state has failed to submit a SIP. The FIP requirement is void if a state submits a regional haze SIP, and EPA approves that SIP within the two year period.

The Wisconsin DNR released a draft SIP in July 2011. The SIP describes Wisconsin’s strategy for meeting the reasonable progress goals by 2018 for the four Class I areas it impacts, with the eventual goal of achieving pristine visibility conditions by 2064. This strategy takes advantage of emissions reductions from various control programs, and includes submission of a plan for the application of Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) for specific emission sources.

On November 9, 2011, the EPA announced it will follow a court ordered schedule to review and act on more than 40 state pollution reduction plans that will improve visibility in national parks and wilderness areas. The EPA approved Wisconsin’s Regional Haze SIP on August 7, 2012.

Wisconsin is a member of the Midwest Regional Planning Organization along with Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. The Midwest RPO assesses visibility impairment due to regional haze in the mandatory Federal Class I areas located inside the borders of the member states, and the impact of emissions from the five states on visibility impairment due to regional haze in the mandatory Federal Class I areas located outside the borders of the five states.

 

Standard

40 CFR Part 51 – Regional Haze Regulations; Final Rule: July 1, 1999.

EPA – History of the Regional Haze Rule Development/Schedule

Implementation

EPA – Milestones for State Implementation of the Regional Haze Rule: Timeline

Regional Haze in the Upper Midwest: Summary of Technical Information; February 22, 2008.

Regional Air Quality Analyses for Ozone, PM2.5, and Regional Haze: Final Technical Support Document; April 25, 2008.

Related Documents

The EPA approved Wisconsin’s Regional Haze SIP on August 7, 2012.

Wisconsin SIP

MRPO Technical Support Document

Wisconsin DNR’s Regional Haze Webpage

List of 156 National Parks and Wilderness Areas (Class I Mandatory areas)

Map of the 156 National Parks and Wilderness Areas (Class I Mandatory areas)