Planning and Technical Services - Regional Haze

BAQP Program Features:

Chemical Accident Prevention (CAPP)
• More About CAP Program
• Program Guidance
• Statutes and Regulations
• Regulated Substance Information
• Permitting Requirements
• Registration/Change of Ownership

Nevada Mercury Control (NMCP)
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• Interactive Facility Map
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Ambient Air Quality Monitoring
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• Ambient Air Quality Standards
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• Monitoring Guidelines [PDF]

Program Management Branch
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions
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• Smoke Management
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• Documents and Forms

Planning and Technical Services
• Regulations and SIP Development
• Regional Haze
• BART
• Increment Tracking
• Pahrump Nonattainment
• Fugitive Dust

The Regional Haze Rule [PDF] was promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on July 1, 1999. The rule was designed to protect and improve the visibility in 156 of the country's national parks and wilderness areas. These areas include many of our best known and most treasured natural areas, such as the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Mount Rainier, Shenandoah, the Great Smokies, Acadia, and the Everglades. The Division will develop and submit a SIP (State Implementation Plan) to protect the national parks and wilderness areas both in the State of Nevada and neighboring states.

This 2-page pamphlet [PDF] explains what regional haze is and where it comes from. And More information and educational materials on regional haze can be found on the IMPROVE website. This website has information on the visibility science, workshop materials, and maps, as well as links to regulations.

Most of the technical work for the regional rule SIP's is done through the Western Regional Air Partnership (WRAP) . WRAP is a collaborative effort of tribal governments, state governments and various federal agencies to implement the Grand Canyon Visibility Transport Commission's recommendations and to develop the technical and policy tools needed by western states and tribes to comply with the U.S. EPA's regional haze regulations. Other common air quality issues raised by WRAP members may also be addressed.

The WRAP is administered jointly by the Western Governors' Association and the National Tribal Environmental Council. WRAP activities are conducted by a network of committees and forums composed of WRAP members and stakeholders who represent a wide range of viewpoints. The WRAP recognizes that residents have the most to gain from improved visibility and that many solutions are best implemented at the local, state, tribal or regional level with public participation.

The U.S. EPA released a proposed BART (Best Available Retrofit Technology) rule [PDF] which is required by the Regional Haze rule. This rule would require older facilities who fall in certain categories, to install the best Available Retrofit Technology. The final BART rule will be finalized by June 15, 2005. The fact sheet provides an excellent summary of the BART rule.

The US EPA finalized the "Regional Haze Regulations and Guidelines for Best Available Retrofit Technology Determinations" on June 15, 2005. The rule was published in the Federal Register on July 6, 2005 [PDF].