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PA EPA ANNOUNCES MORE CLEAN AIR ACT FLEX. FOR WESTERN STATES

Release Date: 06/07/96
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PA EPA ANNOUNCES MORE CLEAN AIR ACT FLEX. FOR WESTERN STATES

FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, JUNE 7, 1996

EPA ANNOUNCES MORE CLEAN AIR ACT
FLEXIBILITY FOR WESTERN STATES

EPA today announced another Clean Air Act action reflecting the Clinton Administration's flexible, cost-effective and common-sense approach to smarter regulation. Reversing a policy dating from 1990, the Agency on May 30 announced a new approach, developed in close partnership with state and local governments, that will increase public health protection, while providing additional flexibility to states in meeting EPA's particulate matter (dust, dirt, smoke) national standards. Under this new policy, EPA will not redesignate any areas to "non-attainment" status if a violation of the particulate matter standards is caused by "natural events" such as dust storms and unwanted forest and grassland fires. In addition, depending on local circumstances, EPA will discount exceedances of the particulate matter standards caused by uncontrollable natural events when deciding whether to redesignate an area from "non-attainment" to "attainment." This new policy should save time and money and reduce paperwork in certain states. The new policy requires states to develop and submit plans to EPA that will increase public health protection from high particulate matter concentrations during natural events. In these plans, states will commit to notifying the public when air quality is affected by natural events; educating the public about the harmful effects of particulates; minimizing the personal exposure of their citizens and reducing particulate levels during natural events. Examples of how states would reduce particulate levels include: prohibiting any type of leaf or other permitted burning during forest fires and reducing the amount of loose, uncovered soil at construction sites and unpaved parking lots susceptible to high winds. The new policy will not appear in the Federal Register but will be computeraccessible soon through EPA's electronic bulletin board system, the Technology Transfer Network (TTN) at 919-541-5742 (backup number for access problems is 919-541-5384) under "Title I - Policy/Guidance Documents" on the TTN's Clean Air Act Amendments bulletin board. (For further technical information on the action, contact Ken Woodard of EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards at 919-541-5697.)

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