SENATE BILL REPORT

SSB 6603

BYSenate Committee on Environment & Natural Resources (originally sponsored by Senators Barr and Stratton)

Revising air quality opacity limitations.

Senate Committee on Environment & Natural Resources

Senate Hearing Date(s):February 3, 1988; February 5, 1988

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6603 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

      Signed by Senators Metcalf, Chairman; Barr, Kreidler, Patterson, Rinehart.

Senate Staff:Henry Yates (786-7708)

                  March 7, 1988

House Committe on Environmental Affairs

AS PASSED SENATE, FEBRUARY 13, 1988

BACKGROUND:

There are two common types of standards used to measure air pollution which consist of particle matter from industrial smokestacks.  The opacity limit is determined by the obscurity noted when looking through a clear medium.  If the opacity limit is 20 percent, then when looking through a clear medium the smoke cannot obscure more than 20 percent of it.  There is also a "particulate" standard which is a ceiling on the weight of the particles contained in each cubic foot of air emitted from a smoke stack.  According to Department of Ecology regulations, these two standards are distinct and when its inspectors issue fines for violations of either, they view them separately.  There are situations where the opacity standard will be violated, but not the particulate standard and vice versa.

Under air quality law, there are usually three tiers of regulations - federal, state and the local air pollution control agencies.  All of these must be consistent.  There is a detailed waiver procedure in state law for exclusion from certain regulations.

SUMMARY:

Any industry can choose to have violations of opacity limits correlate with violations of particulate limits.  The industry is to submit appropriate data that it has quantified prior to being considered for correlating opacity/particulate standards.

Appropriation:    none

Revenue:    none

Fiscal Note:      none requested

Senate Committee - Testified: Stu Clark, Department of Ecology (for); Chris Carlson, Kaiser Aluminum (for)

HOUSE AMENDMENTS:

Air pollution control authorities which have jurisdiction can choose to have any limit on emissions opacity correlate with the particulate standard.

A reasonable fee may be charged the industry requesting an alternative opacity standard.  The fee can only cover the costs to the air pollution control authority related to determining the acceptability of the alternate opacity standard.