(1) For the purposes of this section:
(a) "Air pollution control facilities" means any treatment works, control devices and disposal systems, machinery, equipment, structure, property, property improvements, and accessories, that are installed or acquired for the primary purpose of reducing, controlling, or disposing of industrial waste that, if released to the outdoor atmosphere, could cause air pollution, or that are required to meet regulatory requirements applicable to their construction, installation, or operation; and
(b) "Generation facility" means a coal-fired thermal electric generation facility placed in operation after December 3, 1969, and before July 1, 1975.
(2) Beginning January 1, 1999, the provisions of this chapter do not apply in respect to the use of coal to generate electric power at a generation facility operated by a business if the following conditions are met:
(a) The owners must make an application to the department of revenue for a tax exemption;
(b) The owners must make a demonstration to the department of ecology that the owners have made reasonable initial progress to install air pollution control facilities to meet applicable regulatory requirements established under state or federal law, including the Washington clean air act, chapter
70A.15 RCW;
(c) Continued progress must be made on the development of air pollution control facilities to meet the requirements of the permit; and
(d) The generation facility must emit no more than ten thousand tons of sulfur dioxide during a previous consecutive twelve-month period.
(3) During a consecutive twelve-month period, if the generation facility is found to be in violation of excessive sulfur dioxide emissions from a regional air pollution control authority or the department of ecology, the department of ecology shall notify the department of revenue and the owners of the generation facility shall lose their tax exemption under this section. The owners of a generation facility may reapply for the tax exemption when they have once again met the conditions of subsection (2)(d) of this section.