PNNL

Abstract

The Clean Air Act, its amendments, and air quality regulations require that prescribed fire managers estimate the quantity of emissions that a prescribed fire will produce. Information on emissions is available for these calculations; however, it is often incomplete or difficult to find. Tables and computer models can also provide some of this information, but the quality and applicability of the data to a specific site are unknown. In conjunction with three research projects developing new emissions data and meteorological tools to assist prescribed fire managers, the Resource Conservation and Climate Change Program Area of the Department of Defense's Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program is supporting development of a database that contains emissions information related to prescribed burning. Ultimately the vetted database will be available on the Internet and will contain emissions information that has been developed from laboratory and field-scale measurements and has been published.