Department of Ecology Air Quality Program
Including Vancouver Ozone Maintenance Plan/Southwest Clean Air Agency Rules in the State Implementation Plan
Background information: The Southwest Clean Air Agency (SWCAA) developed a maintenance plan SIP revision for the Vancouver, Washington portion of the Portland-Vancouver bi-state ozone area. The plan shows the area will maintain the eight-hour ozone standard through 2015. The plan also includes a contingency plan in case the area exceeds or violates the ozone standard.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revised the air quality standard for ozone air pollution from a one-hour standard to an eight-hour standard to provide better public health protection. When an air quality standard is revised, the Clean Air Act requires states to develop a plan to implement, maintain, and enforce the revised standard. States submit these plans to EPA for approval. If EPA approves a state's plan, it becomes part of the SIP.
The hearings: Ecology will hold two successive hearings immediately following SWCAA's November board meeting. The purpose of the first hearing is to receive public comment on including SWCAA's maintenance plan in the SIP. The purpose of the second hearing is to receive public comment on including SWCAA's revised rules for air pollution sources in the SIP.
SWCAA's revised rules include updates to the following sections of its general regulation for air pollution sources:
| • | SWCAA 400-030 Definitions |
| • | SWCAA 400-101 Emission exempt from Registration Requirements |
| • | *SWCAA 400-111 Requirements for New Sources in a Maintenance Plan Area |
| • | *SWCAA 400-113 Requirements for New Sources in Attainment or Nonclassifiable Areas |
| • | SWCAA 400-171 Public Involvement |
| • | SWCAA 400-200 Vertical Dispersion Requirement, Creditable Stack Height and Dispersion Techniques |
Hearings will be held following the Southwest Clean Air Agency's 3:00 p.m. board meeting on Thursday, November 2, 2006, Southwest Clean Air Agency, 11815 N.E. 99th Street, Suite 1294, Vancouver, WA 99682-2394.
Review copies are available: You can review copies of the SIP revision at the following locations:
Southwest Clean Air Agency
11815 N.E. 99th Street
Suite 1294
Vancouver, WA 99682-2394
Department of Ecology
Air Quality Program
300 Desmond Drive
Lacey WA 98503
Vancouver Community Library
1007 East Mill Plain Boulevard
Vancouver, WA 98663
Department of Ecology
Vancouver Field Office
2108 Grand Boulevard
Vancouver, WA 98661-4622
How to comment: You can comment in person at the
hearings, or mail, e-mail or fax your comments to Doug
Schneider, Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 4700, Olympia, WA
98504-7600, fax (360) 407-7534, e-mail dsch461@ecy.wa.gov.
You must provide your comments by 5:00 p.m., November 9, 2006.
For more information please contact Doug Schneider.