Overview of Regional Haze and 

WA and OR RH Plans

EPA, Region 10

Keith Rose

Steve Body

June 7, 2011
What is Regional Haze?

 Means visibility impairment due to fine 

particles caused by emissions of air 

pollutants from numerous sources 

located over a wide geographic area. 

 Sources include major and minor 

stationary sources, mobile sources, 

wood stoves, etc. 
Regional Haze and Visibility

Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area, WA

20% Worst Days, Current 

conditions (51 Mm-1)

2064 Goal, Natural 

Conditions (12Mm-1)
What Causes Haze?

 Fine particulates (PM2.5) composed of:

 Sulfate – chemical reaction in atmosphere 

of Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) with other 

pollutants (primarily ammonia) to form 

very fine particulate. 

 SO2 comes from coal fired power plants 

and diesel fuel combustion
What Causes Haze?

 Nitrate – chemical reaction in atmosphere 

of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) with other 

pollutants to form very fine particulate. 

 NO2 (or NOx) comes from power plants, 

motor vehicles, and other combustion 

processes
What Causes Haze?

 Smoke – from wildfire, prescribed fire, 

woodstoves, agricultural burning 

 Soil particles – e.g. wind blown dust, reentrained road dust, etc.

 Marine aerosols – fine water droplets 

containing organic and inorganic material 
Regional Haze Rule

 The goal is to achieve natural background visibility 

conditions in National Parks and wilderness areas 

areas by 2064.

 10 year planning cycles: States and Tribes (as 

appropriate) to develop State or Tribal 

Implementation Plans (SIPs or TIPS) 

 First SIPs/TIPs cover period to 2018. 

 First SIPs/TIPs include ‘reasonable’ controls on large 

major stationary sources: power plants, oil refineries, 

industrial boilers, aluminum smelters, etc. 
Visibility Monitoring Program: 

IMPROVE Network

 IMPROVE monitors are located throughout the 

country to ensure that each Class I area is 

represented by one monitor. 

 These monitors collect fine particulate samples that 

are analyzed for sulfates, nitrates, elemental carbon, 

organic carbon, and metals 

 The measured concentrations of each type of 

particulate are converted into a visibility index to 

determine the degree of visibility impairment. 
IMPROVE Monitoring Network in 

Western States
Map of WA Class I areas
Map of OR Class I areas
Yakama Reservation-Mt. Adams 

Wilderness Area Map
Mt. Adams Visibility Glide Path

Mt Adams Current and Natural 

Conditions: Worst Days

 Current Conditions: 12.76 dv

 Natural Conditions: 8.35 dv

 Improvement needed: 4.41 dv
OR RH SIP Status and Dates

 OR submitted SIP to EPA on December 20, 

2010

 EPA proposed approving BART and interstate 

transport visibility portions of SIP on March 8, 

2011

 EPA will take final action on this portion of 

the SIP by June 21, 2011

 EPA expects a consent decree deadline of fall 

2012 to take action on the remainder of SIP 
WA RH SIP Status and Dates

 WA submitted SIP to EPA on Dec. 22, 2010

 EPA is evaluating the current SIP submission

 Ecology is planning to submit a revision to 

their SIP to reflect the recent agreement with 

TransAlta for the Centralia facility

 EPA must finalize action on remainder of SIP 

by fall 2012
Major Sources to be Controlled 

by WA and OR SIPs

 Oregon: 

 PGE Boardman; coal-fired Power Plant

 PGE Beaver Power Plant 

 Georgia Pacific Wauna Mill

 International Paper, Springfield facility

 Washington: 

 TransAlta; coal fired power plant

 TESORO; oil refinery

 Port Townsend Paper Company
Visibility Improvements in Mt. Adams 

wilderness due to Boardman Controls

 2011 NOx controls – 0.79 dv

 2014 SO2 DSI phase I – 1.38 dv

 2018 SO2 DSI phase II – 1.51. dv

 2020 shutdown – 2.69 dv
Visibility Improvements in Mt. Adams 

wilderness due to TransAlta Controls 

 Jan 1, 2013, SNCR implemented

 Jan 1, 2013, a ~0.5 dv improvement

 Dec 31, 2020, shutdown of one unit

 Dec 31, 2025, shutdown second unit

 2025 a ~3.6 dv improvement 
Questions?