98-13616. Interim Policy for Addressing Public Health and Welfare Impacts Caused by Wildland and Prescribed Fires in the Nation's Wildlands

[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 98 (Thursday, May 21, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 27957]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-13616]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6100-1]


Interim Policy for Addressing Public Health and Welfare Impacts 
Caused by Wildland and Prescribed Fires in the Nation's Wildlands

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the EPA has issued an ``Interim 
Air Quality Policy on Wildland and Prescribed Fires.'' The policy 
addresses public health and welfare impacts caused by wildland and 
prescribed fires in the Nation's wildlands (areas with little 
development, such as forests and grasslands). The policy applies to all 
wildland and prescribed fires managed to achieve resource benefits on 
public, Indian and privately owned wildlands, regardless of the cause 
of ignition (e.g., lightning, land management decision, accidental, 
etc.) or purpose of the fire (e.g., resource management, hazard 
reduction, etc.). The policy does not apply to other open burning 
activities, such as burning at residential, commercial or industrial 
sites; open burning of land-clearing waste or construction debris. It 
also does not apply to open burning of agricultural waste, crop residue 
or land in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Conservation 
Reserve Program.
    This is an interim policy for two reasons. First, EPA expects 
recommendations from the USDA based on input from USDA's Air Quality 
Task Force on how to address public health and welfare impacts caused 
by agricultural burning. Those recommendations may affect the Agency's 
understanding of fires in the wildlands versus agricultural fires. 
Second, until the final rules for implementing EPA's regional haze 
program are promulgated, it is not possible to formulate final policy 
with respect to the impact of wildland and prescribed fires on regional 
haze.
    The policy was issued in response to plans by some Federal, tribal 
and State wildland owners/managers to significantly increase the use of 
wildland and prescribed fires to achieve resource benefits. The absence 
of fire effects, due to past management practices, has allowed plant 
species (e.g., trees and shrubs) that would normally be eliminated by 
fires to proliferate, vegetation to become dense and insect 
infestations to go unchecked. In response, wildland owners/managers 
plan to significantly increase their use of fires to correct these 
unhealthy conditions and to reduce the risk of wildfires to public and 
fire fighter safety. The policy integrates two public policy goals: (1) 
to allow fire to function, as nearly as possible, in its natural role 
in maintaining healthy wildland ecosystems; and (2) to protect public 
health and welfare by mitigating the impacts of air pollutant emissions 
on air quality and visibility.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions on the policy, 
contact Mr. Kenneth Woodard, U.S. EPA, MD-15, Research Triangle Park, 
NC 27711, telephone [phone], or Mr. Gary Blais, U.S. EPA, MD-15, 
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, telephone [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EPA does not directly regulate the use 
of fire within a State or on Indian lands. The EPA's authority is to 
enforce the Clean Air Act requirements to attain and maintain the 
national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) adopted to protect 
public health and welfare. This policy recommends that States/tribes 
implement smoke management programs (SMP's) to mitigate the public 
health and welfare impacts of fires managed for resource benefits. The 
goals of SMP's are to mitigate the nuisance and public safety hazards 
(e.g., on roadways and at airports, etc.) posed by smoke intrusions 
into populated areas; to prevent deterioration of air quality and NAAQS 
violations; and to address visibility impacts in mandatory Class I 
Federal areas. The SMP's establish procedures and requirements for 
minimizing air pollutant emissions and managing smoke dispersion.

Electronic Availability

    A World Wide Web site has been developed for policy and guidance 
issued by the Office of Air and Radiation. The Uniform Resource 
Location for the home page of the web site is http://www.epa.gov/ttn/
oarpg. For assistance, the TTN Helpline is [phone]. For those 
persons without electronic capability, a copy may be obtained from Ms. 
Virginia Wyatt, MD-15, Air Quality Strategies and Standards Division, 
RTP NC 27711, telephone [phone].

    Dated: May 15, 1998.
Jeffrey S. Clark,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 98-13616 Filed 5-20-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P