The demonstration argues a clear causal link between the specific fires and the monitored exceedances, citing an actual fire return interval of 31.8 years against a historic interval of 2-6 years and burn areas ranging from about 5,077 to 8,473 acres.
IssueFranklin Countyunder consideration
Georgia EPD asks EPA to exclude 18 prescribed-fire pollution days from Macon's PM2.5 standard
Excluding the days from the calculation could affect whether the Macon-Allied monitor shows the area meeting the federal annual soot standard.
Latest
September 21, 2026: Exceptional Events Demonstration requesting exclusion of 18 PM2.5 exceedance days at the Macon-Allied monitor caused by prescribed (silviculture) fire smoke
What happens next
EPA review of the demonstration and concurrence decision, following the 30-day public comment period that opened September 21, 2026.
At a glance
What this means now
The story
Georgia EPD's Air Protection Branch drafted an Exceptional Event Demonstration on September 21, 2026, asking EPA to exclude 18 daily PM2.5 readings from 2023-2025 at the Macon-Allied monitor from the 2024 annual PM2.5 air quality standard, saying the readings were caused by prescribed fires.
EPD published a public notice of the draft demonstration and opened a 30-day public comment period starting September 21, 2026, to take input before the demonstration goes to EPA.
The demonstration argues a clear causal link between the specific fires and the monitored exceedances, citing an actual fire return interval of 31.8 years against a historic interval of 2-6 years and burn areas ranging from about 5,077 to 8,473 acres.
What happened
How this issue got here
Open any step for its supporting record. A proposal remains labeled as proposed until later evidence establishes an outcome.
Appeared on agendaproposedExceptional Event Demonstration requesting EPA exclude 18 prescribed-fire PM2.5 days at the Macon-Allied monitor from the 2024 annual PM2.5 NAAQS
Georgia EPD requests that EPA review and concur that this demonstration shows that the 18 new prescribed fire events in Table 1 meet the requirements of the EER, resulting in exclusion of the associated 18 daily PM2.5 concentrations from regulatory decisions for the 2024 annual PM2.5 NAAQS.
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Exceptional Event Demonstration requesting EPA exclude 18 prescribed-fire PM2.5 days at the Macon-Allied monitor from the 2024 annual PM2.5 NAAQS
Georgia EPD requests that EPA review and concur that this demonstration shows that the 18 new prescribed fire events in Table 1 meet the requirements of the EER, resulting in exclusion of the associated 18 daily PM2.5 concentrations from regulatory decisions for the 2024 annual PM2.5 NAAQS.
Appeared on agendaproposedExceptional Event Demonstration requesting EPA exclude 18 new prescribed-fire PM2.5 exceedances at Macon-Allied monitor (2023-2025) from 2024 annual PM2.5 NAAQS design value
This demonstration requests concurrence that the eighteen exceedances of the 2024 annual PM2.5 NAAQS measured at the Macon-Allied site caused by prescribed fires on the dates listed in Table 1 be excluded from regulatory decision making.
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Exceptional Event Demonstration requesting EPA exclude 18 new prescribed-fire PM2.5 exceedances at Macon-Allied monitor (2023-2025) from 2024 annual PM2.5 NAAQS design value
This demonstration requests concurrence that the eighteen exceedances of the 2024 annual PM2.5 NAAQS measured at the Macon-Allied site caused by prescribed fires on the dates listed in Table 1 be excluded from regulatory decision making.
Appeared on agendaproposedDraft Prescribed Fire Exceptional Event Demonstration for 2024 Annual PM2.5 NAAQS at Macon, GA (2023-2025)
Draft Prescribed Fire Exceptional Event Demonstration for the 2024 Annual PM 2.5
NAAQS at Macon, GA in 2023- 2025
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Draft Prescribed Fire Exceptional Event Demonstration for 2024 Annual PM2.5 NAAQS at Macon, GA (2023-2025)
Draft Prescribed Fire Exceptional Event Demonstration for the 2024 Annual PM 2.5 NAAQS at Macon, GA in 2023- 2025
Appeared on agendaproposed30-day public comment period on the Macon-Allied prescribed fire Exceptional Event Demonstration
Georgia EPD will hold a 30-day public comment period beginning September 21, 2026, to
receive public input regarding the Exceptional Event Demonstration.
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30-day public comment period on the Macon-Allied prescribed fire Exceptional Event Demonstration
Georgia EPD will hold a 30-day public comment period beginning September 21, 2026, to receive public input regarding the Exceptional Event Demonstration.
Appeared on agendaproposedExceptional Events Demonstration requesting exclusion of 18 PM2.5 exceedance days at the Macon-Allied monitor caused by prescribed (silviculture) fire smoke
there exists a clear causal relationship between the specific events and the monitored
PM2.5 exceedances on the eighteen
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Exceptional Events Demonstration requesting exclusion of 18 PM2.5 exceedance days at the Macon-Allied monitor caused by prescribed (silviculture) fire smoke
there exists a clear causal relationship between the specific events and the monitored PM2.5 exceedances on the eighteen
Research the record