Regional Haze

Congress, through the Clean Air Act Section 169, declared as a national goal “the prevention of any future, and the remedying of any existing, impairment of visibility in mandatory Federal Class 1 areas in which impairment results from manmade air pollution.”

In 1999, EPA  adopted regulations to implement the Clean Air Act visibility goal set forth in 40 CFR 51.308(d)(1), requiring states to make reasonable progress toward improving visibility in the nation’s most pristine natural areas, designated as Class 1 areas such as national parks and wilderness areas.

Visibility is impeded by haze caused by man-made and natural contaminants in the air, which reduce the clarity and color of what we observe in scenic vistas. Man-made pollutants that lead to haze can originate from sources located across broad geographic areas. As a result, EPA grouped states into regions and delineated regional planning organizations (RPOs) to develop strategies to reduce emissions of particulate matter and other pollutants leading to regional haze, and help states meet the consultation requirements of the Regional Haze Rule. MARAMA states are included in both the Mid-Atlantic Northeast Visibility Union (MANEVU) and the Visibility Improvement State and Tribal Association of the Southeast (VISTAS) regional organizations.

MARAMA supports the MANEVU region’s development of technical products needed to implement the Regional Haze rule, including extensive work and coordination on inventories required for air quality modeling that are used by MANEVU, other RPOs, and beyond. The following provides further details on information concerning regional haze in the MANEVU and VISTAS regions.

RegionalPlanningOrganizations FinalOption2

Class I areas are national parks exceeding 6000 acres, wilderness areas and national memorial parks exceeding 5000 acres, and all international parks in existence on August 7, 1977. There are 156 Class I areas in the U.S., including seven in the MANEVU region (one within the MARAMA region) and 18 in the VISTAS region (nine within the MARAMA region). The 10 Class 1 Areas found in the MARAMA region are:

  • Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge – Brigantine Wilderness (NJ)
  • Linville Gorge Wilderness Area (NC)
  • Shining Rock Wilderness Area (NC)
  • Swanquarter Wilderness Area (NC)
  • Great Smoky Mountains National Park (NC)
  • Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness Area (NC)
  • James River Face Wilderness Area (VA)
  • Shenandoah National Park (VA)
  • Dolly Sods Wilderness Area (WV)
  • Otter Creek Wilderness Area (WV)
  • Acadia National Park (ME)
  • Moosehorn Wilderness Area (ME)
  • Roosevelt-Campobello International Park (ME/NB)
  • Presidential Range–Dry River Wilderness Area (NH)
  • Great Gulf Wilderness Area (NH)
  • Lye Brook Wilderness Area (VT)

 

IMPROVE is the national visibility monitoring network at Class 1 areas across the country initially established in 1985. Data from monitoring stations for Class I areas are found at the IMPROVE website.