NMED News:
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board this week adopted a state plan and air quality regulations to reduce pollution in New Mexico’s national parks and wilderness areas under the Clean Air Act’s Regional Haze Program.
“People from all over the world visit New Mexico to experience the unique natural and cultural landscapes at our national parks and wilderness areas,” Environment Secretary James Kenney said. “Today’s decision represents the culmination of years of cooperation to help protect these places and the recreational opportunities, cultural importance, and natural beauty they provide.”
The Regional Haze Program sets targets over time to assure states like New Mexico reduce haze that make skies appear brown or hazy, even on otherwise clear days. The haze is caused when air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide react with sunlight in the atmosphere to create fine particulate matter.
In addition to improving visibility at New Mexico’s national parks and wilderness areas, the Regional Haze Program improves the air quality for New Mexico residents and visitors. The fine particles that cause haze can also irritate the lungs and make it harder for some people to breathe — especially children, older adults, and people with asthma.
Under the program, New Mexico will improve visibility in nine of the most popular areas in the state, including:
- Bandelier Wilderness Area
- Bosque del Apache Wilderness Area
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park
- Gila Wilderness Area
- Pecos Wilderness Area
- Salt Creek Wilderness Area
- San Pedro Parks Wilderness Area
- Wheeler Peak Wilderness Area
- White Mountain Wilderness Area
Measures under the Regional Haze Program include requiring new, cost-effective emission controls on certain active emission units and ensuring that certain previously retired emissions units remain out of service.
Collectively, these measures are projected to reduce approximately 18,000 tons per year of nitrogen oxide emissions and 5,300 tons per year of sulfur dioxide emissions—totaling more than 23,000 tons of haze-forming pollution removed from New Mexico’s air annually.
Today’s measure taken by the Environmental Improvement Board is the result of seven years of collaborative work led by the New Mexico Environment Department in coordination with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, state and local agencies, Tribal governments, federal land managers, industry stakeholders, and other interested parties.
The state’s Regional Haze Plan, companion rule, and all supporting information can be viewed at the NMED Air Quality Bureau’s dedicated Regional Haze Planning Website.