FACT SHEET: NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING FOR THE EPA RECONSIDERATION OF THE NATIONAL
AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS FOR PARTICULATE MATTER

WILDLAND FIRE, AIR QUALITY AND PUBLIC HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS

Wildland fires - including both wildfires and prescribed fires - account for over 30 percent of the
nation's primary emissions of fine particulate matter (PIVh.s)- EPA recognizes the increasing challenges
and human health impacts that wildland fire and smoke pose in communities all around the country.
EPA works closely with other federal agencies, state and local health departments, tribal nations, and
other partners to provide information, tools, and resources to support communities in preparing for,
responding to, and avoiding health impacts from wildland fire and smoke. In addition, EPA supports
efforts by agencies across the federal government - including the U.S. Department of Agriculture and
the Department of the Interior, as well as interagency forums such as the Wildland Fire Leadership
Council - to implement and further develop strategies to reduce wildfire risk, and to help communities
prepare for, respond to, and recover from wildfires.

•	EPA is committed to helping communities and our federal, state, local, and tribal partners to
manage the health impacts of smoke from wildland fires. EPA works with the U.S. Forest Service to
provide the public with near real-time data on wildfire smoke and air quality through the AirNow
Fire and Smoke Map; jointly maintain a Smoke-Ready Toolbox to provide communities, public health
agencies, and other partners with information on how to reduce the health impacts of smoke from
wildland fires; and provides technical assistance to help communities plan and prepare for smoke
impacts. EPA will continue its longstanding participation in the U.S. Forest Service led Interagency
Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program which provides operational smoke outlooks to help
communities respond to smoke from large wildfires.

•	EPA will also continue to support states in managing the impacts of wildland fire and smoke on
attainment of the national ambient air quality standards for PM. The Clean Air Act and the
Exceptional Events Rule provide a framework for addressing air quality data impacted by exceptional
events in the context of certain regulatory decisions, including designations regarding which areas
have attained the NAAQS. Both the Exceptional Events Rule and the 2016 PM2.5 State
Implementation Plan Requirements Rule address fire-related emissions, including emissions from
wildfires and prescribed fires on wildland. EPA has also issued detailed guidance on how states can
seek to exclude data influenced by such events under the Exceptional Events Rule.

•	More information on exceptional events demonstration submission deadlines can be found in Table
2 to 40 CFR section 50.14(c)(2)(vi) - "Schedule for Initial Notification and Demonstration Submission
for Data Influenced by Exceptional Events for Use in Initial Area Designations."

•	In addition, EPA acknowledges that federal, state and Tribal agency partners, as well as other
stakeholders, view the use of prescribed fire as an important tool for reducing wildfire risk and the
severity of wildfires and wildfire smoke. EPA guidance issued pursuant to the Exceptional Events
Rule provides information regarding air quality impacts associated with prescribed fire on wildland,
approaches to mitigate the smoke impacts of such prescribed fires, and procedures for seeking the
exclusion of air quality data that is influenced by prescribed fire on wildland. EPA supports the use
of these Exceptional Events Rule provisions by state and Tribal air agencies, when needed.

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• Going forward, EPA is committed to partnering with federal land managers and working with states,
Tribes, air quality management districts, and other stakeholders to provide the necessary tools and
resources to engage in responsible wildfire risk reduction activities while ensuring attainment and
maintenance of air quality standards to protect public health and welfare under the Clean Air Act.
EPA intends to engage through opportunities such as the Wildland Fire Leadership Council to
enhance communications and understanding about air quality impacts from smoke generally and on
the particulate matter air quality standards, among federal agencies and other key stakeholders.
EPA is also continuing to review its existing Exceptional Events wildland fire-related tools and
information to identify opportunities to clarify or otherwise improve access to information and
resources.

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