How did DEQ select which sources are subject to BART?
In 2006, DEQ worked with state air agencies in Washington and Idaho, as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S Forest Service, and the National Park Service/US Fish & Wildlife to develop a formal method (protocol) for conducting and evaluating visibility analysis for BART eligible sources. These state and federal agencies have primary authority and responsibility for protecting air quality in Class-I wilderness areas, and this protocol reflects the consensus recommendation of these experts. The protocol laid out the official method for determining whether or not a source has a significant impact on visibility. That is a vital first step in the BART evaluation process. DEQ applied this analysis approach to all of Oregon’s BART eligible sources to determine which ones could be subject to BART control requirements.
