The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set an air quality standard for particulate matter ten micrometers or less in size (PM₁₀) to protect public health. When an area in Washington does not meet this air quality standard, EPA formally designates the area "nonattainment." Ecology is required by the Clean Air Act to develop a plan to meet the standard.

     The Clean Air Act allows EPA to redesignate a nonattainment area to attainment once certain conditions have been met. These conditions include the following:

•	Monitoring data that shows attainment of the PM10 standard.
•	Full EPA approval of the plan to meet the standard.
•	Fulfillment of any additional SIP requirements.
•	Permanent and enforceable reductions in PM10 emissions.
•	An EPA-approved maintenance plan that provides for continued attainment of the PM10 standard for ten years after redesignation to attainment.

     The SIP Revision: The SIP revision shows how Wallula meets redesignation requirements. EPA determined that Wallula met the PM₁₀ standard in 2001. The only exceedance that occurred after 2001 was an uncontrollable natural event caused by windblown dust. This exceedance is not considered in assessing attainment.

     EPA proposed approval of the attainment plan in the February 1, 2005, Federal Register. Controls on emissions in place in the nonattainment area include a new permit for the beef cattle processing facility, paving of a haul road at the pulp and paper mill, a fugitive dust control plan for the associated compost facility, and a fugitive dust control plan for the beef cattle feedlot.

     The SIP revision also includes the maintenance plan. This plan includes the following major elements:

     •     A 2002 inventory of PM₁₀ emissions that shows the level of emissions compatible with attainment of the PM₁₀ standard (over 50% of the emissions come from agricultural tilling, and almost 40% come from large and small industrial sources).

•	A demonstration that the PM10 standard will be maintained through 2015.
•	A contingency plan that provides for: (1) Improved monitoring; (2) use of continuous monitoring to evaluate maintenance of the standard; and (3) continued implementation of Best Available Control Measures to deal with windblown dust from agricultural fields (with a single exception, exceedances in the Wallula area the result of windblown dust).

     The plan exempts the Wallula maintenance area from regional transportation conformity requirements for PM₁₀, because mobile sources do not have a significant impact on continued attainment of the standard.

     Copies of the new plan are available for review at the following locations: Benton Clean Air Authority, 114 Columbia Point Drive, Suite C, Richland, WA 99352-4387; and Burbank Library, 875 Lake Road, Burbank, WA 99323; Kennewick Branch, Mid-Columbia Library, 1620 South Union, Kennewick, WA 99338; or Pasco Branch, Mid-Columbia Library, 320 West Hopkins, Pasco, WA 99301.

     Hearing Schedule: On Thursday, March 17, 2005, at 7:00 p.m., at the Burbank-Wallula Fire Station 51, 460 West Humorist Road, Burbank, WA.

     Comments may be provided at the hearing or mailed, e-mailed, or faxed to Doug Schneider, Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 4700, Olympia, WA 98504-7600, fax (360) 407-7534, e-mail dsch461@ecy.wa.gov. Comments must be postmarked by 5:00 p.m., March 18, 2005.

     For More Information: Contact Doug Schneider, Department of Ecology, Air Quality Program, (360) 407-6874, dsch461@ecy.wa.gov.

     If you need special accommodations, please contact Tami Dahlgren at (360) 407-6800. If you are a person with a speech or hearing impairment, call 711, or 1-800-833-6388 for TTY.

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