Regional Haze

• 2009 Oregon Regional Haze Plan
• Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) Rules
• DEQ regulation of PGE Boardman
• Other Haze and Visibility Programs

Oregon's Regional Haze Plan

On June 19, 2009 the Environmental Quality Commission adopted a regional haze plan for Oregon. It includes stringent pollution controls for Portland General Electric's coal-fired power plant near Boardman.

The federal Clean Air Act contains requirements to protect and improve visibility in national parks and wilderness area in the country. In 1977 Congress designated certain national parks and wilderness areas as "Class 1 areas," where visibility was identified as an important value. Currently there are 156 Class 1 areas in the country. Oregon has 12 Class 1 areas, including Crater Lake National Park and 11 wilderness areas.

To address the problem of regional haze EPA adopted the Regional Haze Rule in 1999. This rule is intended to improve visibility in Class 1 areas, including Oregon, over the next 60 years. It focuses on improving Class 1 area visibility on the haziest days (the worst 20%) and ensuring no degradation on the clearest days (the best 20%). States will be required to work together to improve visibility through interstate planning and implementation of regional strategies.

Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) Rules

"BART" refers to emissions reduction technology required by the Clean Air Act for certain older industrial facilities, like PGE’s coal-fired power plant in Boardman. The federal regional haze rule requires that older facilities go through a BART analysis now, and install emission controls if they have a significant impact on visibility in a federal wilderness areas or national parks. The following documents are federal guidelines and a 3rd party report on how to apply BART rules:

• BART Eligibility Guidance
• BART Modeling Protocol
• BART Control Determination Guidance

Other Haze and Visibility Programs

• Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Regional Haze Program
• EPA’s Regional Haze Rule (64 FR 35714)
• National Park Service Visibility Monitoring Program
• Columbia Gorge Air Quality Program
• IMPROVE Monitoring Network, Colorado State University
• Visibility Information Exchange Web System (VIEWS)
• US Forest Service, Air Quality Images and Visibility

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