Southwest Clean Air Agency Updates Vancouver Carbon Monoxide Maintenance Plan - seeks comments, announces public hearing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 25, 2007

VANCOUVER, Wash. - The Southwest Clean Air Agency (SWCAA) is updating the Vancouver Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) Carbon Monoxide Maintenance Plan. The Agency seeks public comment on this Plan. The public comment period begins January 25, 2007.

This EPA-required plan shows that the Vancouver AQMA is expected to maintain compliance with the federal 8-hour carbon monoxide air quality health standard through 2016. The Vancouver AQMA violated the 8-hour national air quality standard for carbon monoxide in the past, but has been in compliance since 1992. The new plan keeps the control strategies in place identified in the 1996 CO Maintenance and Redesignation request to EPA. No new control strategies or rules are being proposed.

The largest sources of wintertime CO emissions are cars and trucks. Emission reductions from these sources are expected to continue due to continued benefits gained from the phase-in of new fuel and emission standards.

The proposed plan will be voted on by the SWCAA Board of Directors at the March 1, 2007 meeting. A State Implementation Plan (SIP) hearing adopting the plan into the Washington State SIP will be held immediately following the Board of Directors adoption meeting. The plan can be viewed online (see below) or at the SWCAA offices located at 11815 NE 99th Street, Suite 1294, Vancouver. The plan can also be viewed at Department of Ecology Headquarters, 300 Desmond Drive in Lacey, Washington; Vancouver Community Library, 1007 E. Mill Plain Blvd.; and Washington Department of Ecology's Vancouver Field office at 2108 Grand Boulevard.

Comments can be sent to Laurie Hulse-Moyer, Air Quality Scientist, SWCAA, 11815 NE 99th Street, Suite 1294, Vancouver, WA 98682. Or, e-mail your comments to or fax them to 360-576-0925. All comments are due to the SWCAA office by Feb. 28, 2007 before 5:30 p.m, unless the comments are provided in-person at the March 1, 2007 Board of Directors meeting.

Founded in 1968, the mission of the Southwest Clean Air Agency is to preserve and enhance the air quality in southwest Washington. Serving the counties of Clark, Cowlitz, Lewis, Skamania and Wahkiakum, SWCAA is responsible for protecting the public's health through the enforcement of federal, state and local air quality standards and regulations.

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For more information contact:

Robert Elliott Executive Director Southwest Clean Air Agency 360-574-3058, ext. 12

Laurie Hulse-Moyer Air Quality Scientist Southwest Clean Air Agency 360-574-3058, ext. 32

The Carbon Monoxide Maintenance Plan is available online:

• Vancouver Carbon Monoxide Maintenance Plan
  Word - 800 kb, PDF - 160 kb
• Appendix B: Carbon Monoxide Monitoring Discontinuation Letter
  PDF - 187 kb
• Appendix C: EPA AirData values for Atlas & Cox site, 1996-2005
  PDF - 28 kb
• Appendix D: Vancouver 2002 Seasonal Emission Inventory (for more detail, contact SWCAA)
  Word - 453 kb, PDF - 106 kb
• Appendix E: Washington State and SWCAA Rules - Control Strategies and Contingency Plan Regulations
  • SWCAA 400-111 "Requirements for New Sources in a Maintenance Plan Area"
    PDF - 597 kb
  • WAC 173-422: Motor Vehicle Emission Inspection
    PDF - 60 kb
  • SWCAA 492: Oxygenated Fuels
    PDF - 159 kb
  • WAC 173-492: Motor Fuel Specifications for Oxygenated Gasoline
    PDF - 32 kb

Many of the above files are Adobe Acrobat PDF format. To open the files you will need an Adobe Acrobat Reader available free here (external link).