The proposed bill seeks to amend section 49-424 of the Arizona Revised Statutes, which currently outlines the establishment of substantive policy statements for identifying air quality exceptional events. Under current law, these statements must consider the state's unique geological, geographical, and climatological conditions, and be developed in collaboration with the certified planning agency and the county air pollution control department or district.

The bill introduces a new provision that mandates the department to submit an exceptional event demonstration to the United States Environmental Protection Agency if a wildfire occurs on federally managed land that impacts the state. This insertion aims to enhance the state's response to air quality issues related to wildfires, thereby updating the existing framework for managing exceptional air quality events.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 49-424