What Does
Best Available Control Measures Mean?
Best Available Control Measures (BACM), in the context of pollution control, is a term used to point out the most effective measures for controlling small particulates.
These small particulates could come from different sources including ash of burnt wood, roadway dust, or trash, and they could also include any harmful emissions from other sources such as open burning. This definition of BACM comes from the environmental safety guidelines according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Safeopedia Explains Best Available Control Measures
Environmental pollution has been increasing at a greater pace than ever before. Climate change around the world has been terribly affecting both animals and humans. Thus, controlling pollution must become a priority. Particulates and gases emitted from various sources can cause serious harm to both the environment and to human health. The EPA provides particular guidelines to control these small particulates from different sources.
Within certain parameters, the EPA researches specific issues and determines the factors causing pollution to the environment. Air quality data provides many facts about this pollution. The determination of De Minimis (DM) levels requires the data of two main factors. The first is the emissions of the small particulates from different sources, and the second is the ambient air quality.
There are also other standards involved in this process. Once the DM levels are found, it is determined which is more restrictive. The more restrictive DM level is used to find out the applicability of BACM. For example, open burning is one of the sources that emits small particulates that are injurious to health. All activities that involve burning in the open air come under "open burning" except for those activities prescribed and used for reducing the hazards. One of the largest burning activities is agricultural burning. While the prescribed burning activities include burning to improve the forest and rangeland health, the hazard-reducing burning activities include those that minimize hazards from the wildfires.
The trash, timber, brush, or grasslands burning will come under the other open burning activities that cause environmental pollution. To control the particulates produced as a result of these open burning activities, effective measures are suggested by the EPA. These measures come with guidelines that people or industries follow to eliminate the hazardous practices. These guidelines also provide information about what to do and what not to do, as these are the best available measures to control the pollution.