Southwest Clean Air Agency Opens Public
Comment Period for Ozone Maintenance Plan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 28, 2006

VANCOUVER, Wash. - The Southwest Clean Air Agency (SWCAA) is updating the Vancouver portion of the Portland-Vancouver Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) Ozone Maintenance Plan. Currently the area meets the federal eight-hour air quality health standard for ozone; this proposed Ozone Maintenance Plan demonstrates that the area will continue to meet the standard with existing controls. The public is welcome to comment on this plan beginning Oct. 2, 2006.

This EPA-required plan assures that the AQMA will maintain compliance with the federal eight-hour ozone standard through 2015. The plan also includes a contingency plan in case the area exceeds or violates the federal ozone standard. The original 1996 control strategies already in place are being maintained in the new plan with few changes and no additional control strategies are being proposed in the plan.

The growth allowance for industrial sources will be maintained and is reset proportional to Oregon's growth allowance so that equivalent economic development opportunities will exist on both sides of the Columbia River. The suite of strategies described in the plan will work together to protect the area's air quality as growth and population pressures increase over the next ten years. This Ozone Maintenance Plan will help ensure that the area remains within federal health standards for ozone while accommodating new and expanding businesses and population growth.

The proposed plan will be voted on by the SWCAA Board of Directors at their Nov. 2, 2006 meeting. SWCAA also proposes to revise certain rules that support the plan and vote on these and other minor rule revisions at the same board meeting. A State Implementation Plan (SIP) hearing adopting the plan into the Washington State SIP will be held immediately following the board meeting.

The plan can be viewed online (see below) or at the Southwest Clean Air Agency office located at 11815 NE 99th Street, Suite 1294, Vancouver. The plan can also be viewed at Department of Ecology Headquarters, 300 Desmond Drive, Lacey; Vancouver Community Library, 1007 E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver; and the Department of Ecology's Vancouver Field Office at 2108 Grand Blvd., Vancouver.

Public comments on the Ozone Maintenance Plan can be sent to Laurie Hulse-Moyer, Air Quality Scientist, SWCAA, 11815 NE 99th Street, Suite 1294, Vancouver, WA 98682. Comments can also be e-mailed to or faxed to 360-576-0925. All public comments are due to the SWCAA office by 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 1, 2006, unless the comments are provided in-person at the Board of Directors meeting at 3:00 p.m. on Nov. 2, 2006.

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 Ozone Maintenance Plan is available online:

• Vancouver Portion of the AQMA Ozone Maintenance Plan (Word - 5.1 Mb, PDF - 485 kb)
• Appendix 2: 1992 to 2005 Meteorological Factors Conducive to Ozone Formation (PDF - 263 kb)
• Appendix 5: Economic Report to the Metro Council (PDF - 1.5 Mb)
• Appendix 7: Vancouver Control Strategies
  • SWCAA 400 - General Regulations for Air Pollution Sources (Word - 447 kb, PDF - 240 kb)
  • SWCAA 490 - Emission Standards and Controls for Sources Emitting Volatile Organic Compounds (PDF - 571 kb)
  • SWCAA 491 - Emission Standards and Controls for Sources Emitting Gasoline Vapors (PDF - 298 kb)
  • SWCAA 493 - VOC Area Source Rules (PDF - 130 kb)
  • Washington State Regulations - Chapter 173-422 Motor Vehicle Emission Inspection
    (PDF - 166 kb)
• Appendix 8: Other Emission Reduction Programs Information
  • Commute Trip Reduction Program Information (PDF - 1.8 Mb)
  • Commute Trip Reduction Efficiency Act Frequently Asked Questions (PDF - 48 kb) and Presentation (PDF - 623 kb)
  • Washington State Department of Transportation CTR Performance Grants Information (external link

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).