Klamath Falls Officially Deemed 'Clean Air' Zone
Published Date: 3/4/2026
Proposed Rule
Summary
The EPA is proposing to officially recognize Klamath Falls, Oregon, as meeting clean air standards for tiny pollution particles called PM2.5. This means the area’s air is cleaner now, and a plan is in place to keep it that way through 2037. Local rules and vehicle pollution limits will be updated, affecting residents and drivers, with public comments open until April 3, 2026.
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 2 costs, 2 mixed.
New Burn Curtailment Triggers and Limits
Klamath County updated burn notifications with specific PM2.5 thresholds: “burning allowed” when forecast 24-hour PM2.5 is below 22 micrograms per cubic meter, “exempt wood burning devices only” when forecasts have the potential to exceed 22 µg/m3 but not exceed 35 µg/m3, and “no burning allowed” when forecasts have the potential to exceed 35 µg/m3 for a 24-hour average. Daily burn notifications run from October 15 through March 15.
Klamath Falls Redesignated Attainment
EPA proposes to redesignate the Klamath Falls, Oregon area to attainment for the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 standard and to approve a maintenance plan that demonstrates continued attainment through 2037. If finalized, the area’s redesignation and the maintenance plan would be incorporated into the Oregon State Implementation Plan (SIP).
Bigger Low‑Income Exemption Threshold
Klamath County revised the ordinance to define “low income” as 250 percent of the Federal poverty level for purposes of issuing certificates of exemption. The document gives the example that 250 percent of the Federal poverty level for a four-person household is $80,375 (FY2025), compared with the prior HUD very-low-income limit of $40,700 for a four-person household.
Woodstove Changeouts, Sales Ban, and Removal Rule
The SIP includes a woodstove changeout program that provided financial incentives and replaced 180 woodstoves to date, with Oregon projecting 411 replacements by 2028. The plan also prohibits sale and installation of non-certified solid-fuel heating devices and requires removal/destruction of non-certified devices at the time of home sale.
Tighter Device Rules and Opacity Limits
The updated ordinance removes previous exemptions for pellet stoves, fireplaces, cook stoves, and masonry heaters during burn curtailments and removes a 3-minute-per-hour opacity exemption; it enforces a 20 percent opacity limit except during the first 10 minutes of operation. Some devices and open burning categories that were previously exempt are now subject to curtailments.
Motor Vehicle Budget and Road‑Sanding Agreement in SIP
EPA proposes to approve the Klamath Falls motor vehicle emissions budget into the Oregon SIP and has approved an Interagency Agreement to Reduce Particulate Emissions from Winter Road Sanding into the SIP. These items are part of the maintenance strategy to control PM2.5 emissions from transportation and road sanding activities.
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Key Dates
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