The Nashville-Davidson County Metro Public Health Department Air Pollution Control Division's (Nashville MPHDPCD) draft Exceptional Events Demonstration for the 2023 Canadian Wildfires, is open for public comment. This draft Exceptional Events Demonstration requests that the EPA concur with the exclusion of specified PM2.5 concentrations from regulatory decisions and attainment of NAAQS for Nashville MPHDPCD. The days and sites for which Nashville MPHD is requesting concurrence were impacted by an event consistent with the EPA’s definition of “unusual or naturally occurring events that can affect air quality but are not reasonably controllable using techniques that tribal, state, or local air agencies may implement in order to attain and maintain the [NAAQS]” (USEPA, 2024).
Air Pollution Control Public Notice for January 1, 2025
Copies of the document are on file for public review in the Metro Public Health Department, Vital Records Division, 2500 Charlotte Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee. All public comments should be directed to Nicole Rondeau at [email protected]. Comments must be received before the end of the comment period on February 6, 2025. Following revision based on feedback from the public, the document will be finalized.
Exceptional events are unusual or naturally occurring events that can affect air quality but are not reasonably controllable using techniques that tribal, state or local air agencies may implement in order to attain and maintain the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Exceptional events may include wildfires, high wind dust events, prescribed fires, stratospheric ozone intrusions, and volcanic and seismic activities.
In September of 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized revisions to the Exceptional Events Rule to establish criteria and procedures for use in determining if air quality monitoring data has been influenced by exceptional events. The rule:
- Applies to all exceptional event types and all NAAQS.
- Ensures that air quality measurements are properly evaluated and characterized with regard to their causes.
- Identifies reasonable actions that state, local and tribal air quality agencies should take to address the air quality and public health impacts caused by these types of events.
- Avoids imposing unreasonable planning requirements on air quality agencies related to violations of the NAAQS due to exceptional events.
- Ensures that the use of air quality data, whether afforded special treatment or not, is subject to full public disclosure and review.