Plan for Regulating Airborne Pollutants in Mendenhall Valley, Focusing on PM-10
In March 1994, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the PM evaporation planning for Mendenhall Valley in Alaska, marking a significant step towards addressing the valley's air quality issues.
The Mendenhall Valley, located in Alaska, was designated as a nonattainment area for PM and classified as moderate upon the enactment of the Clean Air Act Amendments in 1990. This classification indicated that the valley's air quality did not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter (PM).
To address this nonattainment status, Alaska submitted a PM attainment plan on June 22, 1993. The approved plan, which came into effect on April 25, 1994, relies on control strategies to attain the PM NAAQS. The plan focuses on controlling wood smoke emissions and fugitive dust sources.
Local authorities took several measures to support the plan's implementation. By Resolution of the City and Borough of Juneau, Serial No. 1612, on December 7, 1992, they adopted the Memorandum of Understanding between ADEC, ADOT, and CBJ, sharing responsibility and authority for resolving the PM-10 nonattainment problems associated with road dust in the Mendenhall Valley.
Additional road paving projects were implemented, and the City and Borough of Juneau passed an ordinance, Serial No. 93-39am, on November 17, 1993, creating Local Improvement District No. 77 of the City and Borough, setting boundaries for drainage and paving of streets in the Mendenhall Valley.
The City and Borough of Juneau regulations disallow wood stoves as the sole heat source and require a backup heat system to maintain a temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The City and Borough of Juneau Building Code was also amended to require R-30 ceilings and R-19 walls and floors. Formulas were adopted for the percentage of window coverage allowed.
In an effort to further discourage wood stove usage, the City and Borough of Juneau passed an ordinance, Serial No. 91-52, on January 6, 1992, amending the wood smoke control code to lower the particulate count threshold and prohibit the burning of substances other than paper, cardboard, and untreated wood in wood stoves. The City and Borough of Juneau also increased the fines for violations of the wood smoke control code with the passage of Ordinance No. 91-53 on January 6, 1992.
The EPA proposed approval of the Mendenhall Valley PM attainment plan on December 22, 1993 (58 FR 67754), and the plan's approval can be found in the Federal Register on March 24, 1994 (59 FR 13884).
These measures, combined with the EPA's approval, mark a significant milestone in the efforts to improve air quality in the Mendenhall Valley, Alaska. The plan's implementation continues to address the issues of PM and contribute to the valley's path towards meeting the NAAQS.
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