Southeast Michigan Ozone Exceptional Event Demonstration open for public comment

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has drafted an ozone Exceptional Event Demonstration for southeast Michigan related to ozone data collected at two monitoring sites in Wayne County for four separate days in June and July 2023. An Exceptional Event Demonstration is tool air quality regulatory agencies use to ensure regulatory effort is focused on actions that will improve air quality. The goal of an Exceptional Event Demonstration is to obtain the USEPA’s agreement that the data was affected by an exceptional event, so the data is excluded from regulatory determinations.

EGLE has opened a public comment period for the proposed ozone Exceptional Event Demonstration.

Technical Details:

Throughout the late spring and summer of 2023 much of the Upper Midwest was impacted by smoke from numerous large Canadian wildfires causing poor air quality. Some areas had worse air quality than others. The draft Exceptional Event Demonstration identifies four of the worst days in southeast Michigan and that smoke from Canadian wildfires caused the levels of ozone recorded at two monitors in Wayne County. 

Tell us what you think:

The public is encouraged to review the Exceptional Event document for more detailed information before commenting.

Comments may be given at any time before the end of the comment period at 6:00 p.m. on November 28. You may provide comments on the proposal in any of these ways.

• By email: HengesbachS1@Michigan.gov

• By U.S. mail: EGLE, Air Quality Division, Attn: Stephanie Hengesbach, P.O. Box 30260, Lansing, Michigan 48909- 7760.

Questions:

If you have questions about the proposed Exceptional Event Demonstration or how to comment, contact Stephanie Hengesbach at HengesbachS1@Michigan.gov or 517‑648‑7015.