SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 6603

BYSenators 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)

                  February 8, 1988

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES, FEBRUARY 5, 1988

BACKGROUND:

There are two common types of standards used to control air pollution which consists 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 look at 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 violation of an air quality opacity limit also must be a violation of the applicable particulate emission standard.

EFFECT OF PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE:

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)