EPA Rejects Part of Hawaii's Plan to Reduce Haze at National Parks
Official: Partial Approval and Partial Disapproval of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Hawaii; Regional Haze State Implementation Plan for the Second Implementation Period
Reading: The EPA disapproved Hawaii's enforceable power plant shutdowns and visibility improvement goals, requiring the state to weaken its long-term strategy for reducing regional haze.
The EPA approved Hawaii's methods for measuring visibility improvement and tracking progress, but rejected the state's strategy for shutting down certain power plants and its goals for how much visibility must improve.
In clear language
The federal EPA has partly accepted and partly rejected Hawaii's plan for reducing regional haze and improving visibility at national parks and protected areas. The EPA approved Hawaii's methods for measuring visibility improvement and tracking progress, but rejected the state's strategy for shutting down certain power plants and its goals for how much visibility must improve.
How does this affect you?
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Who does this affect?
- Hawaii residents and visitors who use national parks and protected federal lands
- Power plant operators and energy companies in Hawaii, especially on the islands of Hawaii and Maui
- Federal land managers responsible for maintaining air quality in Class I areas (pristine federal lands)
What can you do?
- If you live in Hawaii, stay informed about future state energy plans, as Hawaii will need to revise its power plant shutdown strategy to satisfy EPA requirements
- Support or comment on Hawaii's revised regional haze plan when it is resubmitted to the EPA
Timeline
- Effective: 2026-06-29
- Effective: 2026-06-29
- Effective: 2026-06-29
- Effective: 2026-06-29
- Effective: 2026-06-29
- Effective: 2026-06-29
- Effective: 2026-06-29
- Effective: 2026-06-29
- Effective: 2026-06-29
- Effective: 2026-06-29
- Effective: 2026-06-29
- Effective: 2026-06-29
- Effective: 2026-06-29
- 2024-08-02: Hawaii submitted its regional haze plan to EPA
- 2026-05-29: EPA issued this partial approval and disapproval decision
- 2026-06-29: Decision became effective
No New Jersey official has a verified action on this policy yet.
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