FINAL BILL REPORT

                 SHB 2376

                         C 294 L 96

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Recovering gasoline vapors.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Agriculture & Ecology (originally sponsored by Representatives Chandler, Koster, Johnson, Boldt, McMorris, Thompson and Mulliken).

House Committee on Agriculture & Ecology

Senate Committee on Ecology & Parks

Background:  Gasoline vapors are one source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).  Gasoline vapor recovery devices used at service stations help to reduce VOC emissions.  Ground level ozone is formed when VOCs combine with oxides of nitrogen in the presence of sunshine.  The federal standard for ozone is .12 parts per million.  An area becomes a non-attainment area if the standard is exceeded a total of four or more times during any three consecutive years.  Washington has two areas in "marginal" non-attainment for ozone, Puget Sound and the Vancouver area.  Air movements can cause gasoline vapors and other VOCs generated in a county that meets the federal ozone standard to contribute to ozone problems in non-attainment areas.

Federal law does not mandate installation of gasoline vapor recovery (stage II) devices at gasoline service stations in marginal non-attainment areas.  Federal law does require that these areas develop and implement plans that will ensure that the ozone threshold will not be exceeded.  Rules adopted by the Department of Ecology require stage II devices in service stations that sell more than a specified volume of gas in a year.  This rule applies to counties in western Washington only.  The volume threshold is lower in ozone non-attainment areas than in attainment areas.  The requirement to install the stage II devices is phased over a four-year period, from 1994 to 1998.  Under the department's rules, about 40 percent of services stations in western Washington will be required to install stage II devices.

Summary:  The general conditions under which stage II devices can be required by the Department of Ecology are established.  For areas designated as non-attainment for ozone, no changes are made to the department's rules.  The department's authority to require stage II devices in counties that meet federal ozone standards is limited to eight specified counties in western Washington.  In these counties, stage II devices may be required only in service stations that sell more than 1.2 million gallons per year.  After December 31, 1998, the department may require stage II devices in an ozone attainment area only if (1) the facility sells more than 840,000 gallons of gas per year; and (2) the department determines, by December 31, 1997, that stage II devices are necessary in the attainment county in order to achieve federal ozone standards in non-attainment counties or counties previously designated as non-attainment for ozone. 

The department's authority to require stage II devices for specific sources of VOCs is not affected.

Votes on Final Passage:

House     83 12

Senate    44 2 (Senate amended)

House     91 3 (House concurred)

Effective:  March 30, 1996