The Senate passed legislation that would amend the Clean Air Act to ensure states would not be penalized for conducting prescribed burns intended to prevent larger, uncontrolled wildfires by unanimous consent on Tuesday.
Under current law, states are required to meet air quality standards for particulate matter pollution. Controlled burns can increase this pollution, and while these are technically “exceptional events” that wouldn’t count toward whether a state is in compliance, states have said they face a high administrative burden of proof.
