EPA has approved Alaska’s latest cleanup plan for soot-ridden Fairbanks after dropping a requirement for household energy ratings opposed by the state.
“Alaskans shouldn’t have to sacrifice their way of life to protect human health and the environment,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a news release Wednesday shortly after a top official in the agency’s Seattle-based regional office signed the approval.
“Through cooperative federalism,” Zeldin added, “Alaska developed a solution that safeguards the health of Fairbanks North Star Borough residents while preserving affordable home heating options.”
The plan is geared to bringing the Fairbanks area into compliance with EPA’s daily soot exposure standard of 35 micrograms per cubic meter of air by the end of 2027.
