GREAT BASIN UNIFIED AIR POLLUTION CONTROL DISTRICT 

RULE 701 – AIR POLLUTION EPISODE PLAN FOR PARTICULATE MATTER 

ADOPTED MARCH 3, 2014 

ENCLOSURE 4 

Adopted Rule 701 – Air Pollution Episode Plant for Particulate Matter 
B.

C.

RULE 7OI- AIR POLLUTION EPISODE PLAN

Adopted: 03103114

A. Description

1. The Great Basin Unifred Air Pollution Control District (GBUAPCD) Air Pollution

Episode Plan is a system designed to alert the public of air contaminants that may be

harrnful to health and to protect that portion of the population at risk. It establishes

advisory procedures when specified levels are reached.

Purpose

l. Define air pollution episode criteria.

2. Provide for episode notificationto the public.

3. Recommend precautionary actions to be taken during episodes.

4. Prevent or reduce the severity ofepisodes.

GBUAPCD Requirements

Measurements

a. The APCO shall mainøin stategic air monitoring stations throughout theDistrict

so that air quality can be monitored on a continuous basis and air pollution

episodes can be measured and predicted.

b. The APCO shall utilize other sources of information, including, but not limited

to, the National Weather Service, Tribal Environmental Exchange Network

and Incident Information System for episode notification and forecasting.

Episode Notifications

a. The APCO shall notiff the United States Environmental Protection Agency

(USEPA), California Air Resources Board (CARB), news media, schools,

medical facilities, child day care facilities and the general public when an

episode is declared.

b. The APCO shall maintain on-line access to district wide air monitoring network

measurements at http://gbuapcd.org/data.

c. The APCO shall provide on-line subscription options for episode notifications

at http ://gbuapcd.org/trealthadvisorv.

d. The APCO shall monitor air quality 24 (twenty four) hours a day,7 (seven)

days a week and will disseminate episode information to the parties identified

in paragraphC.2.a and episode notification subscribers by the following

methods within an hour of the first hourly reading in a day that exceeds the

episode criteria specifred in paragraphC.4:

i. Phone text messaging

ii. E-mail to the healthadvisory@sbuapcd.ore listserv

iii. Website

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l.

2.
3. NotificationContent

a. Stage level.

b. Impacted geographic area(s) and communities.

c. Pollutant for which the episode is declared, specified dust or wildfire smoke air

contaminant and PM concentration.

d. Associated health message.

4. Episode Criteria (Attachment 1)

a. A Stage 1 air pollution health advisory will be issued when hourly PM10

particulate pollution levels exceed 400 micrograms per cubic meter (¡rg/m3) for

dust and 100 ¡rglm3 for wildfire smoke or when hourly PM2.5 particulate

pollution levels exceed 150 microgram per cubic meter (pglm').

b. A Stage 2 air pollution health advisory will be issued when hourly particulate

pollution levels exceed 800 ¡rg/m3 for dust and 200 pglm'for wildfire smoke or

when hourly PM2.5 particulate pollution levels exceed 300 microgram per

cubic meter (pglmt).

5. Actions

a. Stage 1

A Stage t health advisory will recommend:

i. Minimize outdoor activity.

ii. Children, the elderly, and people with heart or lung problems refrain

from strenuous outdoor activities in the impacted area.

iii. Outdoor physical education classes, sports practices, and athletic

competitions should be rescheduled or cancelled if practicable.

b. Stage 2

A Stage 2health advisory will recommend:

i. Eliminate outdoor activities in impacted area.

ii. Remain indoors with doors and windows closed until the episode is

terminated.

iii. Avoid all activities that produce aerosols, dust, fumes and other irritants.

6. Episode Termination

a. An episode shall terminate when the concentration of the pollutant which

causes the declaration ofsuch episode has been verified to have fallen below

the criteria level for the declaration of the episode and an analysis of

meteorological and air quality data indicates that the pollutant concentration is

expected to continue to decrease.

7. Special Actions for Prescribed Burning

Where prescribed burning is defined in:

Rule 408 - Open Burning in Agricultural Operations or Disease or Prevention

Rule 409 - Range Improvement Burning

Rule 410 - Forest Management Burning

Rule 411 - Wildland Vegetation Management Burning in Wildland and

Wildland/Urban Interfac e A¡eas

Rule 412 - Open Burning of Non-Industrial Wood Waste at City of County

Disposal Sites

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a. Upon the declaration of any predicted Stage I or Stage 2 episode, all coinciding

scheduled prescribed burning, shall be prohibited.

b. Upon the declaration of any Stage I or Stage 2 episode, all prescribed burning,

if already ignited, shall be terminated.

Interdistrict Coordination

a. Upon request of an air pollution control officer in an adjoining air basin for

action to abate Stage 1 or Stage 2 episodes occurring within that district, the

APCO shall make a determination, and if the need for action is confirmed,

direct the implementation of the actions required in this Rule for any

significant source area identified within the District which contributes to the

ongoing episode in the adjoining district.

Abatement Actions

a. The APCO shall investigate the nature of the problem and determine if

abatement actions could be taken to reduce the pollution levels.

b. The notification system will allow citizens to take actions to limit exposure.

D. Definitions

For the purpose of this rule, the following definitions apply:

1. "Air Contaminant or Air Pollutant" - any discharge, release, or other propagation into

the atmosphere and includes, but is not limited to, dust, smoke, particulate matter or any

combination thereof.

2. "Air Pollution Control Officer" (APCO) - the person appointed to the position of Air

Pollution Control Officer of GBUAPCD pursuant to the provisions of California Health

& Safety Code $40750, and his or her designee.

3. "Child Day Care Facilitv"- a State licensed child day care, pre-school, or after-school

program.

4. "Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District" (GBUAPCD)- California regional

government agency that works to protect the people and the environment of Alpine,

Mono and Inyo Counties from the harmful effects of air pollution.

5. "Episodes" - exceedances of hourly PM levels set by the District for issuing air quality

advisories to protect public health prior to 24-hour exceedances of the National Ambient Air

Quality Standard and Level of SignifrcantHarm. The applicable Episode criteria, for

this rule, are presented in Attachment l.

6...,-geographiclocationorplaceofhumanoccupation

or permanent dwelling within or downwind of known or forecasted pollution impact

boundaries.

7. "Medical Facilitv"- any location at which medicine is practiced regularþ ranging from

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8.

9
small clinics and doctor's offices to urgent care centers and hospitals.

8. "News Media" - the written press, television, radio, and other mass media of

communication such as on-line computer information services.

9. "PMl0 and PM2.5"- Particulate matter of less than 10 and2.5 microns in aerodynamic

diameter, respectively, which are regulated under federal and state law to protect public

health. PM10 and PM2.5 are easily inhaled into the deepest parts of the lung and can

cause adverse health consequences, particularly for children, the elderly, and people

with respiratory conditions.

10. "Plescribd_Bgrnind- the intentional use of fire to reduce wildfire hazards, clear

downed trees, control plant diseases, improve rangeland and wildlife habitats, and

restore natural ecosystems.

11. "School"- means public and private educational institutions for children ranging from

grades Kindergarten through high school.

12. "Strenuous Outdoor Activitv"- Vigorous outdoor exercise lasting short durations at

high intensity or long durations at moderate intensity.

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ATTACHMENT 1

EPISODE CRITERIA

of Rule 701, the following episode criteria shall

Air Pollutant Averaging Time Stage 1 Health Advisory Stage 2 Health Advisory

PM1O - Dust l Hour 400 pglm3 800 ¡rg/me

PM2.5 - Dust l Hour 1.50 ¡rg/m3 300 pglm3

PM10 - Wildfire Smoke L Hour 100 uglmr 2OO