S-0338.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 5074

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1995 Regular Session

By Senator Fraser

Read first time 01/09/95.  Referred to Committee on Ecology & Parks.

Changing the limitations on the use of wood stoves.

    AN ACT Relating to wood burning devices; and amending RCW 70.94.473 and 70.94.477.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

    Sec. 1.  RCW 70.94.473 and 1991 c 199 s 504 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Any person in a residence or commercial establishment which has an adequate source of heat without burning wood shall:

    (a) Not burn wood in any solid fuel burning device whenever the department has determined under RCW 70.94.715 that any air pollution episode exists in that area;

    (b) Not burn wood in any solid fuel burning device except those which are either Oregon department of environmental quality phase II or United States environmental protection agency certified or certified by the department under RCW 70.94.457(1) or a pellet stove either certified or issued an exemption by the United States environmental protection agency in accordance with Title 40, Part 60 of the code of federal regulations, in the geographical area and for the period of time that a first stage of impaired air quality has been determined, by the department or any authority, for that area.  A first stage of impaired air quality is reached when particulates ten microns and smaller in diameter are at an ambient level of seventy-five micrograms per cubic meter measured on a twenty-four hour average or when carbon monoxide is at an ambient level of eight parts of contaminant per million parts of air by volume measured on an eight-hour average; and

    (c) Not burn wood in any solid fuel burning device in a geographical area and for the period of time that a second stage of impaired air quality has been determined by the department or any authority, for that area.  A second stage of impaired air quality is reached when particulates ten microns and smaller in diameter are at an ambient level of one hundred five micrograms per cubic meter measured on a twenty-four hour average.

    (2) ((If a local air authority exercises the limitation on solid fuel burning devices specified under RCW 70.94.477(2), a single stage of impaired air quality applies in the geographical area defined by the authority in accordance with RCW 70.94.477(2) and is reached when particulates ten microns and smaller in diameter are at an ambient level of ninety micrograms per cubic meter measured on a twenty-four hour average or when carbon monoxide is at an ambient level of eight parts of contaminant per million parts of air by volume measured on an eight-hour average.

    If this single stage of impaired air quality is reached, no person in a residence or commercial establishment that has an adequate source of heat without burning wood shall burn wood in any solid fuel burning device, including those which meet the standards set forth in RCW 70.94.457.

    (3))) Actions of the department and local air pollution control authorities under this section shall preempt actions of other state agencies and local governments for the purposes of controlling air pollution from solid fuel burning devices, except where authorized by ((this act)) chapter 199, Laws of 1991.

    Sec. 2.  RCW 70.94.477 and 1990 c 128 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Unless allowed by rule, under chapter 34.05 RCW, a person shall not cause or allow any of the following materials to be burned in any residential solid fuel burning device:

    (a) Garbage;

    (b) Treated wood;

    (c) Plastics;

    (d) Rubber products;

    (e) Animals;

    (f) Asphaltic products;

    (g) Waste petroleum products;

    (h) Paints; or

    (i) Any substance, other than properly seasoned fuel wood, which normally emits dense smoke or obnoxious odors.

    (2) ((On or after July 1, 1995,)) For the sole purpose of a contingency measure to meet the requirements of section 172(c)(9) of the federal clean air act, a local authority or the department may ((geographically limit)) prohibit the use of solid fuel burning devices, except fireplaces as defined in RCW 70.94.453(3), wood stoves meeting the standards set forth in RCW 70.94.457 or pellet stoves issued an exemption certificate by the United States environmental protection agency in accordance with Title 40, Part 60 of the code of federal regulations, if the United States environmental protection agency, in consultation with the department and the local authority makes written findings that:

(a) The area has failed to make reasonable further progress or attain or maintain a national ambient air quality standard; and

(b) Emissions from solid fuel burning devices from a particular geographic area are a contributing factor to such failure to make reasonable further progress or attain or maintain a national ambient air quality standard.  ((An authority shall allow an exemption from this subsection for low-income persons who reside in a geographical area affected by this subsection.  In the exercise of this limitation, a local authority shall consider the following factors:

    (a) The contribution of solid fuel burning devices that do not meet the standards set forth in RCW 70.94.457 to nonattainment of national ambient air quality standards;

    (b) The population density of geographical areas within the local authority's jurisdiction giving greater consideration to urbanized areas; and

    (c) The public health effects of use of solid fuel burning devices which do not meet the standards set forth in RCW 70.94.457.))

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