State Implementation Plan Revision
Including and Removing Southwest Clean Air Agency Regulations in the State Implementation Plan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 11, 2003

Background
Local air pollution control agencies periodically submit air quality regulations to the Department of Ecology (Ecology) for inclusion in Washington's State Implementation Plan (SIP). The SIP is a statewide plan for meeting federal health-based standards for certain air pollutants.

Ecology will hold a public hearing to receive comments on: (1) adding new and revised Southwest Clean Air Agency (SWCAA) regulations to the SIP; and (2) removing certain regulations from the SIP that are not required by Title I of the Clean Air Act, or that were previously repealed by SWCAA's Board of Directors. The amendments are as follows:

• Revise: Rule 400, Sections 107, 116, 161, 210, 220, 240, 260, 280 and Appendix A
• Remove: Rule 400, Section 010

The purpose of these amendments is to:

• Clarify terminology, improve consistency with the Air Operating Permit program, and provide more specific reporting requirements for excess emissions.
• Incorporate changes in terminology and clarification of required corrective action.
• Update provisions for preconstruction permit requirements.
• Establish an official test method for opacity.
• Incorporate various administrative changes necessary for general SIP implementation.

Hearing schedule

Thursday, January 8, 2004, 3:00 p.m
Southwest Clean Air Agency
11815 NE 99th Street, Suite 1294
Vancouver, WA 98682-2322

For a SIP hearing, only comments related to including and/or removing the SWCAA regulations in the SIP can be considered. Written comments must be postmarked no later than January 15, 2004, and should be sent to Brett Rude, Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600.

For more information
For more information about the content of the regulations, prior to the hearing, please contact Paul Mairose, Southwest Clean Air Agency, at (360) 574-3058, extension 30.

For more information contact:

Paul Mairose - Chief Engineer
(360) 574-3058, ext. 30