Air Resources BoardCalifornia Environmental Protection Agency

California’s Smoke Management

Program

Presentation Overview

• California Health and Safety Code

• Smoke Management Guidelines

• Burner/ARB/Air District Communication

• Burn Authorization Process

• Alternatives to Burning

U.S. EPA Certified Program

• California’s Smoke Management Program meets the 7 program elements described in the Interim Air Quality Policy on Wildland and Prescribed Fires (April, 1998)

• U.S. EPA approval in August, 2003

Legislative Authority

• AB 16, Statutes of 1970 directed ARB to establish guidelines for the control of agricultural burning

• Rice Straw Burning Reduction Act – AB 1378, Statutes of 1991

• San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Burn Phase-DownSB 705, Statutes of 2003

Sacramento Valley Air Basin Rice Straw Phase-Down

• 1991 Legislative Mandate

• Prohibits Burning Rice Straw in Sac Valley

• Permits to Burn Allowed Only for Disease Control– 25% of grower’s planted acres– Up to 125,000 acres basin-wide

San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Burn Phase-Down

• Prohibits Burning of:– 2005 – Field crops, pruning, and weed

abatement – 2007 – Orchard removals– 2010 – Vineyard Removals, Surface-Harvested

Prunings

• Permits to Burn Allowed Only for Disease Control

Smoke Management Guidelines(CCR Title 17)

Enhanced Smoke Management Though Improved Planning and Communication

Help Minimize Smoke Impacts Allow for More Burn Opportunities Requirements for:

Use of an air district burn authorization system Provision for “Marginal” burn day determination Burn Registration Smoke management plans

Consideration of Burn Alternatives

Communication

• U.S. EPA -- Federal Air Quality Managers• ARB -- State Air Quality Managers• Air Districts -- Local Air Quality Managers• GACC-- Federal Weather Forecasters• Other Air Quality/Meteorology Resources• Land/Fire Managers

–Wildlands–Agricultural

Air District Programs Smoke Management Guidelines

• Each air district shall adopt, implement, and enforce a smoke management program consistent with the Guidelines

• Air District submittals due by Dec. 31, 2001• As of February 3, 2005, ARB has approved 28 Air

District programs • Electronic version of programs at:

www.arb.ca.gov/smp/district/adstat.htm

Burn Authorization Process

• Burn Must be Registered with the district

• Approved Smoke Management Plan (SMP) and Permit Required

• May Request ARB Burn Day Forecast -- CB3» 96-hour Outlook

» 72-hour Trend

» 48-hour Forecast

• Daily Burn Forecast Conference Call• ARB 24-hour Basin Burn Day Determination

• Air District 24-hour Burn Authorization

Burn Determination

• ARB makes Burn/No-Burn Determinations for each air basin statewide

• Determinations based on air quality and meteorology

• Tools include Satellite Images, Surface and Upper Air Observations, Model Forecasts

Burn Registration

• Required for All Prescribed Burns

• Initiates Smoke Planning Process

• Allows for Cataloguing of Planned Burns

• Most Districts Request 6 Months in Advance

• Many Air Districts do Annual or Semi-Annual Registration Meeting

Smoke Management Plan ElementsTiered Planning/Reporting System:• 10 Acres or Under 1 Ton Particulate Need Only Register Burn

(May need to address Impacts on Smoke Sensitive Areas)

• Burns with Potential Smoke Impacts – Must Address Smoke Sensitive Areas, Project Monitoring Considerations, and Potential Multi-day Burn Coordination

• Burns Over 10 acres or 1 ton particulate – Must Complete Simplified Smoke Management Plan (SMP)

• 100 acres or over or more than 10 tons particulate must complete more comprehensive SMP

• Projects over 250 acres require Project Monitoring Considerations and Post-burn Evaluation

• Wildland Fire Use fires Must Submit SMP Within 72 Hours to Air District (Based on Expected Total Burn Area)

Consideration ofAlternatives to Burning

• Non-burn Alternatives– Hand Thinning– Mechanical Treatments,

Chipping – Goats

• Alternatives End Uses– Building Products – Landscape Materials– Energy Production

WFU Protocol

• Wildland Fire Use Coordination and Communication Protocol – July 2004

• Framework to minimize smoke impacts from naturally ignited wildland fires managed for resource benefit

• WFUs greater than 10 acres must submit an SMP within 72 hours

• Air district notified if WFU exceeds 100 acres or 250 acres within 24 hours

California Smoke Management Program

ARB Smoke Management Web Page

www.arb.ca.gov/smp/smp.htm

ARB Meteorology Desk(916) 322-6014

Jill Glassjglass@arb.ca.gov

(916) 322-6161