Fairbanks Air Quality Plan
Fairbanks PM2.5 Rulemaking
On November 20, 2023, the EPA Region 10 Regional Administrator signed a Federal Register notice finalizing approval in part and disapproval in part of the nonattainment plan for the Fairbanks PM2.5 nonattainment area.
This final action by the EPA approves parts of the Fairbanks air quality plan and disapproves other parts of the plan, primarily related to the sufficiency of the emission control strategy and modeling and projecting a path to attainment.
EPA will continue to support efforts by the state and borough as they develop a new plan to submit to the EPA in summer 2024.
The final rule was published in the Federal Register on December 5, 2023. It is effective on January 4, 2024 (30 days after publication in the Federal Register).
- [Federal Register] Air Plan Partial Approval and Partial Disapproval; AK, Fairbanks North Star Borough; 2006 24-hour PM2.5 Serious Area and 189(d) Plan - December 5, 2023
What's the significance of this ‘final action’?
EPA is meeting its Clean Air Act obligation to evaluate whether Alaska’s plan meets nonattainment plan requirements. Upon the effective date of a nonattainment plan disapproval, a freeze of the Fairbanks metropolitan transportation plan (MPO) goes into effect and a sanctions clock is triggered whereby sanctions are imposed within 18 months of the final disapproval. The State can avoid the application of sanctions by submitting a revised plan that corrects the deficiencies and EPA approving the revised plan.
What’s next for EPA?
EPA will continue to work with the State and local officials to address deficiencies in the nonattainment plan to ensure the area reaches attainment of PM2.5 air quality standards as expeditiously as possible.
What does this mean for air quality in the borough?
While air quality has improved in the nonattainment area, there is still considerable progress to be made to meet federal standards for particulate matter. EPA will continue to work with the State and local officials to improve compliance with the air quality regulations in place, while also building upon the current nonattainment plan to identify new, or modify existing, emission control measures that will improve air quality and place Fairbanks on a clear path to attainment. We anticipate that Alaska will consider and adopt additional control measures to reduce pollution in the area.
How does this action relate to EPA’s proposal to reconsider the PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS)?
This action is related to the Clean Air Act requirements and nonattainment designation for the Fairbanks PM2.5 Nonattainment Area under the 2006 PM2.5 24-hour NAAQS.
Separately, EPA’s proposal to reconsider the PM2.5 NAAQS is based on the latest scientific and technical information to ensure the annual and 24-hour PM2.5 standards are set at appropriate levels that continue to protect public health, including the health of sensitive or at-risk groups, with an adequate margin of safety. The annual PM2.5 standard is designed to protect against health effects associated with prolonged exposure to persistently high levels of pollution, while the 24-hour PM2.5 standard provides supplemental health protection against acute exposure to very high pollution levels.
If EPA issues a final rule revising the PM2.5 standards, EPA and the states would work closely together on implementation – including designating which areas of the country meet the standard and developing state implementation plans to achieve and maintain the standard.
Related Information
On January 10, 2023, EPA published a notice in the Federal Register proposing to approve in part and disapprove in part the State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by Alaska to address Clean Air Act requirements for the Fairbanks North Star Borough PM2.5 nonattainment area.
EPA received over 160 public comments on the proposal, which informed our final action.
The proposed rule, public comments, and other background information are available at Regulations.gov (Docket No. EPA-R10-OAR-2022-0115).
For more information on the final rule, contact Matthew Jentgen ([email protected]), 206-553-0340.
Background
- On October 17, 2006, EPA strengthened the 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS to 35 micrograms per cubic meter. On November 13, 2009, EPA designated a portion of the Fairbanks North Star Borough as nonattainment for the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS, requiring Alaska to prepare and submit an attainment plan to meet the NAAQS.
- On May 10, 2017, EPA reclassified the Fairbanks nonattainment area from Moderate to Serious, requiring the state to submit a Serious area attainment plan.
- Alaska submitted the Serious area attainment plan on December 13, 2019. On January 9, 2020, EPA issued a Completeness Determination, a public notice stating that Alaska has submitted an administratively complete State Implementation Plan.
- At the time Alaska submitted the Serious area attainment plan (December 13, 2019), the outer-most attainment date for the area was December 31, 2019. On September 2, 2020, EPA issued a determination that the Fairbanks PM2.5 Nonattainment Area failed to attain by the Serious area attainment date and denied an extension of the Serious attainment date.
- EPA’s September 2, 2020, action triggered additional planning requirements for the Fairbanks PM2.5 Nonattainment Area under Clean Air Act section 189(d) (i.e., 5% Plan). Alaska submitted the 5% Plan on December 15, 2020.
- On September 24, 2021, EPA finalized approval of parts of the Fairbanks Serious Plan (submitted on December 13, 2019). The planning requirements addressed in this notice included the base year emissions inventory and the PM2.5 precursor demonstration. EPA also finalized approval of state-adopted heating device rule revisions as SIP-strengthening. We note that EPA did not address in this action whether Alaska’s control strategy met the Clean Air Act requirements specific to Serious nonattainment areas.
Additional information on the 2006 PM2.5 nonattainment areas is available on the EPA Green Book.
Health Impacts from Particulate Matter
Numerous scientific studies have linked exposure to fine particulates — approximately 1/30th the size of a human hair — with serious human health problems, including:
- Premature death in people with heart and lung disease.
- Other serious events such as nonfatal heart attacks.
- Increased hospital admissions and emergency room visits by those with respiratory ailments and cardiovascular disease.
Learn more about particulate matter pollution.