Top House Energy Panel Republican Praises ‘Flexible’ EPA Fire Guidance

Rep. Greg Walden, (R-OR), ranking member of the House energy panel, is praising EPA’s “flexible” technical guidance easing the use by forest managers of “prescribed” fires to thin out forests and prevent much larger wildfires with catastrophic impacts to health and the environment, saying it will assist with forest management. EPA issued the guidance to its regional air division directors Aug. 8, easing and clarifying the terms under which states may exclude air quality data gathered during prescribed fire from...