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 Plan

The 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

• Proposal for new emission controls on PGE Boardman coal-fired power plant

More information:

• Factsheet on Regional Haze PDF
• BART Workshop June 28, 2007, 1-5 pm PDF
• Presentation material
• BART Eligibility Guidance PDF
• BART Modeling Protocol PDF
• BART Control Determination Guidance PDF

Other haze and visibility programs

• Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Regional Haze Program
• EPA’s Regional Haze Rule (64 FR 35714) PDF
• EPA’s Fact Sheet on Regional Haze Rule PDF
• National Park Service Visibility Monitoring Program
• IMPROVE Monitoring Network, Colorado State University
• Visibility Information Exchange Web System (VIEWS)
• Columbia Gorge Air Quality Project
• US Forest Service, Air Quality Images and Visibility
• Western Regional Air Partnership (WRAP)

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