SHB 2261 -
By Committee on Water, Energy & Telecommunications
ADOPTED 04/05/2007
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:
"Sec. 1 RCW 70.94.473 and 2005 c 197 s 1 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:
(i) Fine particulates are at an ambient level of thirty-five
micrograms per cubic meter measured on a twenty-four hour average; and
(ii) Forecasted meteorological conditions are not expected to allow
levels of fine particulates to decline below thirty-five micrograms per
cubic meter for a period of forty-eight hours or more from the time
that the fine particulates are measured at the trigger level; 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:
(i) A first stage of impaired air quality has been in force and not
been sufficient to reduce the increasing fine ((particle
[particulate])) particulate pollution trend;
(ii) Fine particulates are at an ambient level of sixty micrograms
per cubic meter measured on a twenty-four hour average; and
(iii) Forecasted meteorological conditions are not expected to
allow levels of fine particulates to decline below sixty micrograms per
cubic meter for a period of forty-eight hours or more from the time
that the fine particulates are measured at the trigger level.
(2) Until June 30, 2009, an authority comprised of one county east
of the crest of the Cascade mountains with a population of equal to or
greater than four hundred thousand people, may determine by rule an
alternative ambient air level of fine particulates that defines when a
first stage and when a second stage of impaired air quality exists
under subsection (1) of this section. All other criteria of subsection
(1) of this section continue to apply to a county subject to this
subsection.
(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
chapter 199, Laws of 1991.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 A new section is added to chapter 70.94 RCW
to read as follows:
The legislature finds that there are some communities in the state
in which the national ambient air quality standards for PM 2.5 are
exceeded, primarily due to wood smoke emissions, and that current
strategies are not sufficient to reduce wood smoke emissions to levels
that comply with the federal standards or adequately protect public
health. The legislature finds that it is in the state's interest and
to the benefit of the people of the state to evaluate additional
measures to reduce wood smoke emissions and update the state wood smoke
control program.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 A new section is added to chapter 70.94 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) The department shall convene and chair a work group to study
the impacts of wood smoke from solid fuel burning devices on
communities in Washington and make recommendations to the legislature
on practical and cost-effective opportunities to reduce exposure to
wood smoke from solid fuel burning devices and meet the new national
air quality standards for fine particulates in Washington state. The
work group shall be established by the director and include
representatives from the department, the state department of health,
regional air quality agencies, local health departments, related
industry representatives, and nongovernmental health organizations.
Recommendations may include statutory or regulatory changes,
incentives, and other strategies that will reduce ambient PM 2.5
pollution. Recommendations should be presented to the governor and to
the legislature by December 1, 2007.
(2) In carrying out its assignment the work group shall include,
but not be limited to, the following considerations:
(a) Communities in the state that have elevated levels of PM 2.5
pollution;
(b) The contribution of pollution from solid fuel burning devices
to potential violations of federal air quality standards;
(c) Strategies used in other states, regions, or cities to reduce
wood smoke pollution levels and effectiveness of these strategies;
(d) State laws, rules, fees, utility regulations, and other
policies that may affect the ability to reduce emissions from solid
fuel burning devices or encourage the use of cleaner burning devices;
and
(e) Potential financial incentives and sources of funding to change
out older solid fuel burning devices to cleaner burning devices."
SHB 2261 -
By Committee on Water, Energy & Telecommunications
ADOPTED 04/05/2007
On page 1, line 2 of the title, after "program;" strike the remainder of the title and insert "amending RCW 70.94.473; and adding new sections to chapter 70.94 RCW."