Curtailment Details

Air Quality Alert Stages

Stage 1 Alert

During a Stage 1 Alert – when the 24-hr rolling average monitored concentration is 20 micrograms per cubic meter or above, use of all solid-fuel burning devices is suspended until the Alert is cancelled or expired. The Alert announcement will have the expected effective time and expiration time unless renewed. The only solid fuel-fired devices that are allowed to operate during a Stage 1 are:

Devices with a current DEC Stage 1 waiver
Devices with a current DEC NOASH waiver
Exceptions listed in the alert announcement
Devices without a waiver must withhold fuel and ensure combustion has stopped within three hours of the effective time of the alert

Stage 2 Alert

During a Stage 2 Alert – when the 24-hr rolling average monitored concentration is 30 micrograms per cubic meter or above, use of all solid-fuel burning devices is suspended until the Alert is cancelled or expired. The Alert announcement will have the expected expiration time unless renewed. The only solid fuel-fired devices that are allowed to operate during a Stage 2 are:

Devices with a current DEC NOASH waiver
Exceptions listed in the alert announcement
Devices without a NOASH waiver must withhold fuel and ensure combustion has stopped within three hours of the effective time of the alert

Questions and Answers

(common Questions and Answers will be added to this page)

Click question below to show answer:

What type of exceptions could be added to an Air Quality Alert?

If there was a power outage within the nonattainment area, the Alert could indicate that those affected by the outage would be exempted from the curtailment. Exceptions are intended to be specific to the Alert announced at that specific date and time.

What if I am at work, how do I meet the requirement to withhold fuel?

DEC understands the concern to meet the fuel withholding requirements. It is important to understand when the requirement becomes effective. The example below provides guidance on one example:

Alert is called: DEC attempts to issue alert announcements at approximately 2:00 pm.
Alert becomes effective: Often the effective time of the alert is later in the afternoon or evening. E.g. 4pm.
Fuel withholding effective: The three hour burn down window to cease refueling and stop combustion doesn’t start until the effective time of the alert rather than when the announcement is made. In the 4pm alert effective example, this means you have until 7PM to ensure combustion, as evidenced by visible smoke from a chimney, has ceased. This may mean that you will have time to address the requirement when you get home from a normal daytime work shift.

DEC is aware that the timing of an alert and the possibilities of work conflicts exist that may prevent an individual from ceasing the operation of a wood heater with an automatic feed feature (like a pellet stove).

Using the above guidance, if you are still unable to comply with this requirement, please email DEC staff at fnsbair@alaska.gov to advise them of your situation. In order to help you in consideration of difficulties you have, in your email to DEC, you should include the following information:

Brief explanation of why you may be unable to comply with the requirement, including device description
The time in which you anticipate being able to withhold fuel
Name and address

Additionally, registration of a device will be required before closeout of any compliance or enforcement action. Please see our Wood-Fired Heating Device Registration at: Device Registration

It is important to understand that this situation is not a waiver from regulatory requirements. If DEC observes your stack in non-compliance, we have discretion for these extenuating circumstances.