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Air Quality |
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Regional haze |
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DEQ Home > Air Quality > Regional haze | ||||||||||||||
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What is Regional Haze?Air pollution in the form of haze can travel hundreds of miles, affecting the quality of the viewing experience in scenic areas like Crater Lake National Park. This haze is composed of small particles that absorb and scatter light, limiting what we see. Sources of this haze are both urban and rural, such as motor vehicles, power plants, industrial and manufacturing processes, and outdoor debris burning, as well as natural sources such as wildfire and windblown dust. Regional haze is a national problem, affecting visibility in national parks and wilderness areas across the country. The 2008 Oregon Regional Haze PlanThe federal Clean Air Act contains requirements to protect and improve visibility in national parks and wilderness area in the country. In 1977 Congress designated certain national parks and wilderness areas as "Class 1 areas," where visibility was identified as an important value. Currently there are 156 Class 1 areas in the country. Oregon has 12 Class 1 areas, including Crater Lake National Park and 11 wilderness areas. To address the problem of regional haze EPA adopted the Regional Haze Rule in 1999. This rule is intended to improve visibility in all Class 1 areas, including Oregon, over the next 60 years. It focuses on improving Class 1 area visibility on the haziest days (the worst 20%) and ensuring no degradation on the clearest days (the best 20%). For the first time, states will be required to work together to improve visibility through interstate planning and implementation of regional strategies. DEQ is currently preparing a Regional Haze Plan to address visibility in Oregon's 12 Class 1 areas. A draft of this plan is scheduled to be posted in September 2008. News More information:
Other haze and visibility programs
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For more information on the Regional Haze program contact Brian Finneran at 503-229-6278 or by e-mail For more information about Air Quality call 503-229-5359 or . |
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