1. What air regulations does the state of Wisconsin follow?
- The state of Wisconsin adheres to all federal emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). National emission standards for HAPs, compliance dates and their rules and implementation are found in the following U.S. Environmental Protection Agency link: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/eparules.html. In addition to federal standards, Wisconsin regulates several hundred toxic air pollutants. See: Chapter NR 45: Control of Hazardous Air Pollutants (see Table A p455): http://www.legis.state.wi.us/rsb/code/nr/nr445.pdf
2. Which state organization manages air pollution regulation?
- Air Management Program: The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources http://dnr.wi.gov/ houses The Air Management Program http://dnr.wi.gov/air/. This program works to maintain and improve Wisconsin's air quality in order to protect public health and the environment. Staff personnel monitor the air for pollutants, inspect emission sources, provides compliance assistance to industry, initiate enforcement actions when necessary, operate a permit program, educate the public about air quality, and develop policies to address important issues such as global climate change.
3. What are the specific responsibilities of the Air Management Program?
- Public Outreach: The Air Management Program has several resources to help members of the public stay informed about air quality issues and learn about opportunities to provide feedback on proposed rule changes and other efforts to improve and preserve air quality; http://dnr.wi.gov/air/pubinfo/
- Special Air Topics: The Air Management program works on special air pollution topics that are of concern to Wisconsin residents such as acid rain, open burning, and global climate change; http://dnr.wi.gov/air/special.html
- Pollution and Control Programs: Control programs have been instituted to address targeted pollutants (ie, mercury, asbestos, ozone, etc) including those related to vehicles such as cars and trucks; http://dnr.wi.gov/air/pollcontrol.html
- Air Permit and Modeling: The air permit program is responsible for issuing permits to facilities that emit pollutants to the atmosphere; http://www.legis.state.wi.us/rsb/code/nr/nr445.pdf
- Air Quality Compliance and Enforcement: This program enforces air pollution regulations found in the Wisconsin Statutes and the Wisconsin Administrative code. This program determined whether air pollution sources are operating in compliance with state and federal laws and regulations. Compliance staff also assist staff at air pollution sources in understanding applicable air rules; http://dnr.wi.gov/air/compenf/
- Air Program Guidance and Policy: Documents on policy, procedural, and technical guidance related to Air Management can be found using the Air Program Guidance and Policy search tool; http://dnr.wi.gov/air/landing-GuidancePolicyTool.html.
4. Where are the rules found?
5. Contact information?
- Robert Eckdale, Environmental Engineer
101 S. Webster Street PO Box 7921
Madison, Wisconsin 53707-7921
robert.eckdale@wisconsin.gov
608.266.2856
Disclaimer: All information contained in this fact sheet is accurate as of the date specified in the header of this document. ERA accepts no liability for the content of this fact sheet, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. To ensure the accuracy of the information provided, please contact the Environmental Protection Agency. For a more recent revision of this document, please contact ERA at (514) 684-6408.
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