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Regulatory Actions

This page contains a chronological listing of all regulatory actions related to visibility.

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, available as a free download, to view the following file. See EPA's PDF page to learn more about PDF, and for a link to the free Acrobat Reader.

EPA has finalized an emissions trading program to help state and tribal governments improve visibility in national parks and wilderness areas

On October, 5, 2006, EPA finalized an alternative emissions trading program that gives flexibility for states or tribal governments in ways to apply Best Alternative Retrofit Technology (BART). The BART requirements would be satisfied if the trading program meets or exceeds the visibility benefits resulting from BART.

Emissions Trading Could Satisfy Best Available Retrofit Technology Requirements Under EPAs Regional Haze Program

On July 20, 2005, EPA proposed a new regulation that would give states the option to develop an emissions trading program to improve visibility in national parks and wilderness areas. EPA’s proposal outlines the process that a state or tribal governments would use to show that an emissions trading program could be used to meet the Clean Air Visibility Rule’s Best Available Retrofit Technology or BART Requirements. EPA will accept comments on the proposed rule for 45 days after it is published in the Federal Register.

Final Clean Air Visibility Rule Will Restore Visibility in America's National Parks and Wilderness Areas

On June 15, 2005, EPA issued final amendments to its July 1999 regional haze rule. These amendments apply to the provisions of the regional haze rule that require emission controls known as Best Available Retrofit Technology, or BART, for industrial facilities emitting air pollutants that reduce visibility. These pollutants include fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and compounds which contribute to PM2.5 formation, such as nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxides, certain volatile organic compounds, and ammonia. The amendments include final guidelines, known as BART guidelines, for states to use in determining which facilities must install controls and the type of controls the facilities must use.

Results of the Integrated Planning Model (IPM) for the Final Amendments to the Regional Haze Regulations and Guidelines for BART Determinations

The IPM is a computer model that can be used to examine air pollution control policies for SO2 and NOX throughout the contiguous United States for the entire power sector. EPA used the IPM to model the impacts of BART on the electric power sector to develop the final BART rule.


Public Hearings Held

EPA held two hearings (PDF) (2pp, 50k) to listen to public comment on its proposed Regional Haze Regulations and Guidelines for Best Available Control Technology (BART) Determinations.

The first hearing was held on June 4, 2004 at:

Holiday Inn Select
Old Town Alexandria,
480 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Telephone: 703-549-6080
Hours: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

The second hearing was held on June 15, 2004 at:

Adams Mark Hotel
1550 Court Place
Denver, CO, 80202
Telephone 303-893-3333
Hours: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm


Proposed Rulemaking: Guidelines for Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) Determinations Under the Regional Haze Rule and Amendments to the Regional Haze Rule (Signed April 15, 2004, Published May 5, 2004)

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to amend its regional haze rule to provide guidelines for state and tribal air quality agencies to use in determining how to set air pollution limits for a number of older, large utilities and other industrial plants, to address visibility impairment in scenic areas. In May 2002, the DC Circuit court vacated certain provisions of the regional haze rule related best available retrofit technology (BART). Because of this remand, we need to repropose guidelines intended to add further clarification to the BART requirements in the regional haze rule. The purpose of this rulemaking is to provide the appropriate changes to the BART requirements and guidelines.


Results of the Integrated Planning Model (IPM) for the Revisions to the Regional Haze Regulations and Guidelines for BART Determinations

Note: Due to data availability considerations, this IPM run was based on the application of BART-level controls to BART eligible EGUs larger than 250 MW. However, under the proposed BART rule, States are also required to make BART determinations for BART eligible EGUs smaller than 250 MW. Therefore we anticipate that emission reductions will be somewhat greater than predicted here. We intend to do further analysis of the effect of applying BART to these smaller EGUs.


EPA’s 1999 Regional Haze Rule for Protection of Visibility in National Parks and Wilderness Areas

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued regulations to improve visibility, or visual air quality, in 156 national parks and wilderness areas across the country. 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 regulations call for States to establish goals for improving visibility in national parks and wilderness areas and to develop long-term strategies for reducing emissions of air pollutants that cause visibility impairment.

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