The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) is accepting public comments on an analysis of smoke impacts in North Carolina from the 2023 Canadian wildfires. This analysis, called an Exceptional Events Demonstration, is intended to support DAQ’s recommendation that the state be designated in attainment with a stricter air quality standard for fine particulate matter.
The Exceptional Events Demonstration is available on the Division’s website for public review through Dec. 20, 2024. The Division will also hold a public hearing on that date, if it receives a request to do so.
Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, is any extremely small particle emitted by manmade (cars, industry, fires) or natural (wildfire smoke, dust, plants, animals) sources. Breathing air with high levels of PM2.5 for extended periods is linked to health effects including shortness of breath and heart conditions.
After reviewing the latest scientific evidence, the Environmental Protection Agency in May tightened the annual standard for PM2.5 from 12.0 micrograms per cubic meter of air to 9.0 micrograms per cubic meter. EPA says that the revised standard will save lives, reduce cases of asthma, prevent lost workdays and save billions in public health spending, especially in communities of color and other vulnerable populations.
North Carolinians are breathing the cleanest air in decades. North Carolina has seen a 49% decline in PM2.5 emissions between 1990 and 2020, and maintained statewide compliance with the previous PM2.5 standard. Based on air quality monitoring data from 2021-2023, 19 out of 21 monitoring sites in North Carolina are meeting the revised standard.
However, monitoring sites in Mecklenburg and Davidson counties were slightly above the revised standard due to influences of Canadian wildfire smoke in 2023. EPA has yet to make the final determination as to which areas of North Carolina will be designated in attainment with the revised PM2.5 standard, and will base its determination on air quality data from 2022-2024.
DAQ plans to recommend that EPA designate all of North Carolina as in attainment with the revised PM2.5 standard, because the Canadian wildfires were exceptional events outside of the state’s control. This would allow DAQ to focus on pollution reduction strategies that are within its control to ensure ongoing attainment with the revised standard.
To support that recommendation, the state prepared an Exceptional Events Demonstration that clearly shows that for both the Davidson and Mecklenburg county monitors, Canadian wildfire smoke negatively impacted air quality data. Because this exceptional event was outside the control of the state, a small number of days in June and July 2024 can be removed from the calculation when determining compliance with the revised PM2.5 standard, if EPA approves the Exceptional Events Demonstration. Exceptional Events Demonstrations are authorized under the Clean Air Act and EPA governs how states can use these provisions.
The public is invited to review the Division’s analysis and submit comments. All comments received by Dec. 20, 2024, will be reviewed and considered.
A hybrid public hearing will be held in Raleigh on Dec. 20 if the Division receives a request to hold such a hearing on or before Dec. 13. If the Division does not receive a request to hold a public hearing by this date, the public hearing will be cancelled.
Speaker signup will be available upon arrival at the public hearing. To register to speak virtually at the hearing, please fill out this online form. Please indicated in your registration if you require live Spanish interpretation services. More information is in the public notice.
Comments and requests for a public hearing can be made via email to daq.publiccomments@deq.nc.gov (please type “EE Demonstration” in the subject line) or left via voicemail by calling 919-707-8495. Comments can also be mailed to:
Tammy Manning
NC Division of Air Quality
1641 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1641
The Division of Air Quality must submit the Exceptional Events Demonstration to EPA by Feb. 7, 2025. EPA would then have until Feb. 6, 2026, to make final attainment decisions.
More information about the revised PM2.5 standard is on DAQ’s website.
If you need this information in Spanish or another language, please call 919-707-8446 or email Shawn.Taylor@deq.nc.gov.
Si necesita más información en español o en otro idioma, llame al 919-707-8446 o envíe un correo electrónico a Shawn.Taylor@deq.nc.gov.