Title 18 . Environmental Conservation

Chapter 50 . Administrative Enforcement

Section 15. Air quality designations, classifications, and control regions

18 AAC 50.015. Air quality designations, classifications, and control regions

(a) To identify an area by its air quality, all geographic areas in the state are designated by the federal administrator as "attainment," "nonattainment," or "unclassifiable." An area is designated "attainment" for a particular air pollutant if its air quality meets the ambient air quality standard for that air pollutant. If air quality does not meet the ambient standard for a particular air pollutant, that area is designated "nonattainment" for that air pollutant. If there is insufficient information to classify an area as attainment or nonattainment for a particular air pollutant, the area is designated "unclassifiable" for that air pollutant.

(b) The following areas have been designated by the federal administrator as "nonattainment" for the specified air pollutants:

(1) for carbon monoxide:

(A) repealed 2/20/2004;

(B) repealed 6/24/2004;

(2) for PM-10:

(A) Mendenhall Valley area of Juneau; and

(B) Eagle River area of Anchorage.

(c) To establish standards for the prevention of significant deterioration of air quality, geographic areas in the state are

(1) divided into four "air quality control regions" as follows:

(A) Cook Inlet Intrastate Air Quality Control Region;

(B) Northern Alaska Intrastate Air Quality Control Region;

(C) South Central Alaska Intrastate Air Quality Control Region; and

(D) Southeast Alaska Intrastate Air Quality Control Region; and

(2) classified as shown in Table 1 in this subsection for each air pollutant for which the area is designated "unclassifiable" or "attainment."

Table 1

Air Quality Classifications

Classification Geographic Area Class I areas Denali National Park including the Denali Wilderness but excluding the Denali National Preserve Bering Sea National Wildlife Refuge designated as a National Wilderness Area Simeon of National Wildlife Refuge designated as a National Wilderness Area Tuxedni National Wildlife Refuge designated as a National Wilderness Area Class II areas All other geographic areas in Alaska not classified as Class I or Class III Class III area No areas in Alaska

(d) The following areas are subject to maintenance plan requirements for carbon monoxide, as required under 42 U.S.C. 7505a, and as adopted by reference in 18 AAC 50.030 as part of the state air control plan:

(1) the Municipality of Anchorage;

(2) Fairbanks and North Pole urban area.

History: Eff. 1/18/97, Register 141; am 2/20/2004, Register 169; am 6/24/2004, Register 170; am 10/1/2004, Register 171

Authority: AS 46.03.020

AS 46.14.010

AS 46.14.030

Editor's note: The nonattainment area boundaries, the air quality control region boundaries, and the Class I area boundaries are depicted on maps in the state air quality control plan adopted by reference in 18 AAC 50.030. Air quality control region and nonattainment area boundaries are described in 40 C.F.R. 81, as revised as of July 1, 2003.