Open for public comment
We propose revisions to Washington's air quality State Implementation Plan. These revisions show Washington's ability to attain, maintain, enforce, and implement national air quality standards. Ecology is submitting to EPA a second 10-year plan to control dust and keep the Wallula area meeting national air quality standards through 2025. In the 1980s, the Wallula area did not meet the national air quality standard for small particles (PM10), specifically dust. Main sources of dust in the Wallula area are agriculture, a compost facility at a pulp and paper mill, and a cattle feedlot.
| SIP document |
How to comment or request a public hearing |
Draft SIP Revision: Wallula Second Ten-Year Maintenance Plan for Particulate Matter (PM10)
Appendices |
Public comment period: Aug. 13, 2019 – Sept. 29, 2019
• Comment or request a public hearing online
• Mail comments to:
Laurie Hulse-Moyer, Air Quality Program
Washington State Department of Ecology
P.O. Box 47600; Olympia, WA 98504-7600
Public hearing:
Sept. 24, 2019, 6 p.m.
McNary National Wildlife Refuge (map to location)
64 Maple Street; Burbank, WA 99323
For more information, contact Laurie Hulse-Moyer at 360-407-6783.
To request ADA accommodation for the public hearing, email Ecology's ADA coordinator by Sept. 16, 2019. Or call 360-407-6831, 711 (relay service), or 800-833-6384 (TTY). |
Accessibility
To request ADA accommodation for the public hearing, email Ecology's ADA coordinator or call 360-407-6831, 711 (relay service), or 800-833-6384 (TTY).
Español (Spanish) – Plan de Reducción de Polvo del Área de Wallula (Plan de Mantenimiento)
¿Sabías que el polvo es contaminación del aire? El polvo arrastrado por el viento contiene pequeñas partículas que pueden sumar a grandes problemas de salud.
El Departamento de Ecología pide su opinión sobre un plan que se basa en acciones existentes para reducir la contaminación por polvo en el área de Wallula. Aceptamos comentarios públicos del 13 de agosto al 29 de septiembre.
Para más información, por favor comuníquese con Laurie Hulse-Moyer al 360-407-6783 y solicite un intérprete.
What is a Maintenance State Implementation Plan?
There are 14 areas in Washington where we worked with local clean air agencies and communities to reduce air pollution and return those areas to meeting national air quality standards.
When an area does not meet national air quality standards, the area is classified by EPA as in "nonattainment." When an area returns to meeting national air quality standards, we ask EPA to re-classify the area as in attainment and in maintenance.
Once an area is in maintenance status, the federal Clean Air Act requires states to implement a Maintenance State Implementation Plan. A maintenance plan includes strategies to keep meeting national air quality standards in that area for 20 years.
A Maintenance State Implementation Plan includes:
- A current, comprehensive inventory of emissions.
- Enforceable measures to reduce emissions. These measures may include a combination of state, local, and federal rules, plans, administrative orders, and permits for specific sources.
- A demonstration that the measures will keep the area meeting national air quality standards for 20 years.
- Contingency measures that will be applied if the area re-violates the national air quality standards.
Air quality maintenance area
The map below shows boundaries of air quality maintenance areas in Washington. The map also shows the locations of national parks and wilderness areas (also called "mandatory federal Class 1 areas," in darker green), which have special protection for visibility. Click on the map to see a pop-up window with more information, including the end date for the 20-year maintenance period and the air quality agency in charge of that area.