Instruction Policy Notes:
·
Smoke
Dispersal Conditions adjective qualifiers:
<1K=Unfavorable/1-2K=Poor/2-3K=Marginal/3-4K=Moderate/>5K=good
·
Air
Stagnation Advisories:
5 December 2011
Jim and
Pete,
When the
National Weather Service issues an Air Stagnation Advisory (ASA) for any area
where we are writing forecasts, we should issue a statement at the top of the
applicable forecast for the area and time covered. We should also mention
to take extra precautions to ensure smoke from prescribed burning does not
contribute to the degradation of air quality in any SSRA. We should also
issue a statement when the ASA expires. The following example statements
should suffice:
“The
National Weather Service has issued an Air Stagnation Advisory for the
Willamette Valley and the Rogue River Valley effective noon December 5 to at
least noon December 8. Please use extra precaution to limit forestland
burning to units that will not worsen air quality within any nearby SSRAs.”
“The
National Weather Service has cancelled its Air Stagnation Advisory for the
Willamette Valley and the Rogue River Valley effective noon December 8.”
There is
no need to update a forecast just because an ASA has been issued. Just
affix the statement with the next forecast.
Nick Yonker
Meteorology Manager
Oregon Department of Forestry
503-945-7451
·
East Side End Burning Time:
In
general, if the program offers the “end burning by” option go with 1 hour
before sunset.
·
Special Protection Zone/Wood Stove information:
updated 12/08/2011
Wood
Stove Red/Yellow/Green sites:
Josephine
County:
http://www.co.josephine.or.us/Page.asp?NavID=239
Jackson
County:
http://www.co.jackson.or.us/
Klamath
County:
http://www.klamathair.info/
Special
Protection Zone info is in the directive on page 44:
SPECIAL
PROTECTION ZONE REQUIREMENTS
Special
Protection Zone (SPZ) boundaries are shown in the maps in this appendix.
These
SPZ provisions shall apply to the following particulate nonattainment/maintenance
areas from November 15 through February 15 each
year: Klamath Falls, Medford,
Oakridge, La Grande, and Lakeview. Only the
contingency plan requirements of this
appendix shall apply to the Eugene/Springfield and
Grants Pass Particulate Matter
(PM) 10 maintenance areas.
During
the November 15 through February 15 period, prescribed burning in the SPZ will
be allowed only when the ODF smoke management meteorologist
believes there will be
no measurable smoke impacts within the nonattainment area.
Landowners
are responsible for intermittent monitoring for at least three days following
ignition to ensure the smoke is not causing an impact
in the nonattainment city. ODF can
waive this provision if it believes that
monitoring is unnecessary on a specific burn unit.
Landowners
must provide a level of mop-up, as directed by ODF, which will prevent or
minimize smoke impacts in the particulate
nonattainment areas. Mop-up shall be included
as an element of the burn plan for units within SPZs.
Between
December 1 and February 15, no new ignitions will be allowed in the SPZ when
the smoke management meteorologist has been
notified that a "Red" day has been
declared through the local woodstove curtailment
program. Between November 15 and
February
15, no pile burning will be allowed if ODF believes that the piles will produce
significant smoke after the third day.
The SPZ
provisions shall apply as long as the city is in nonattainment status for
particulates, or until it is jointly determined by the
Oregon Department of Environmental
Quality
(DEQ), ODF, and the Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority, when appropriate,
that
a specific SPZ is no longer needed for attainment or
maintenance of the standard. An
SPZ
shall be developed by ODF and DEQ for any newly declared PM 2.5 nonattainment
area. For areas declared out of attainment from
January 1 through May 31, the new SPZ
requirements shall become effective on November 15 in the
year the area is declared out
of attainment. If the area is declared out of attainment
from June 1 to December 31, the
new SPZ rules shall be effective on November 15
of the following year.
Contingency
Plan Requirements:
In the
event that areas violate the PM 2.5 standards beyond statutory deadlines and
prescribed burning is demonstrated to be a significant
contributory source to the violation,
the following provisions shall be implemented:
1. SPZ
boundaries will be expanded to include the area from which burning could
have a significant impact during the
nonattainment period. The boundaries will be
jointly agreed to by ODF and DEQ.
2. SPZ
restrictions will apply November 1 to March 1, except in Klamath Falls. The
SPZ will
be in effect November 1 to April 1 in Klamath Falls.
3. The
SPZ around Klamath Falls, La Grande, and Lakeview, as well as all future PM
2.5
nonattainment areas in areas of level 2 regulation, shall be subject to burning
requirements of level 1 regulation during the time when
the SPZ is in effect. The
nonattainment city shall be treated as a Smoke Sensitive
Receptor Area when the
SPZ is
in effect.
4.
Prescribed burning will be prohibited within the SPZ during December and
January
if an impact attributable to prescribed forestland burning
of 5 to 10 micrograms per
cubic meter (24-hour average) is demonstrated by
air quality monitoring after the
contingency provisions are in effect. Burning will be
prohibited from November 1 to
March 1
if a prescribed burning impact of 10 micrograms per cubic meter (24-hour
average) is demonstrated by monitoring after the
contingency provisions go into
effect. ODF and DEQ must jointly agree on the
magnitude and duration of the
impact before these provisions are enacted. The provisions
apply only to burning
within the SPZ during the SPZ protection period.