EPA Interim Air Quality Policy on Wildland and Prescribed Fires

In 1998, the EPA issued a national policy to address how best to achieve national clean air goals while improving the quality of wildland ecosystems through the increased use of fire. The Interim Air Quality Policy on Wildland and Prescribed Fires (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1998) was developed through a partnership effort involving EPA, the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Defense, and the Interior, State foresters, State and Tribal air regulators, and others.

This policy urges State and tribal air quality managers to collaborate with wildland owners and managers to mitigate the air quality impacts that could be caused by the increase of fires managed to achieve resource benefits. The EPA especially urges development and implementation of at least basic smoke management programs when conditions indicate that fires will adversely impact the public. In exchange for states and tribes proactively implementing smoke management programs, EPA intends to exercise its discretion not to redesignate an area as nonattainment if the evidence is convincing that fires managed for resource benefits caused or significantly contributed to violations of the daily or annual PM_2.5 or PM₁₀ standards. Rather, EPA will call on the state or tribe to review the adequacy of the smoke management program in collaboration with wildland owners and managers and make appropriate improvements to mitigate future air quality impacts. The state or tribe must certify in a letter to the EPA Administrator that at least a basic program has been adopted and implemented in order to receive special consideration for NAAQS violations under this policy.

To be certifiable by EPA, a smoke management program should include the following basic components, some of which are the responsibility of the administering agency and some of which are provided by the land manager:

1. Process for assessing and authorizing burns. Reporting of burn plan information to administering agency (not mandatory for states to be compliant with EPA recommendations for a certified smoke management program, but is highly recommended especially for fires greater than a predefined de minimis size), including the following information:
   • location and description of the area to be burned,
   • personnel responsible for managing the fire,
   • type of vegetation to be burned,
   • area (acres) to be burned,
   • amount of fuel to be consumed (tons/ acre),
   • fire prescription including smoke management components,
   • criteria the fire manager will use for making burn/no burn decisions, and
   • safety and contingency plans addressing smoke intrusions.
2. Plan for long-term minimization of emissions and impacts, including promotion of alternatives to burning and use of emission reduction techniques.
3. Smoke management goals and procedures to be described in burn plans (when burn plan reporting is required):
   • actions to minimize fire emissions,
   • smoke dispersion evaluation,
   • public notification and exposure reduction procedures to be implemented during air pollution episodes or smoke emergencies, and
   • air quality monitoring.
4. Public education and awareness.
5. Surveillance and enforcement of smoke management program compliance.
6. Program evaluation and plan for periodic review.
7. Optional programs (for example, special protection zones or buffers or performance standards).

The application of best available control measures (BACM) for prescribed fire is a required element of EPAs Air Quality Policy on Wildland and Prescribed Fires (EPA 1998).