Ecology is proposing to submit to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a revision to Washington’s Air Quality State Implementation Plan (SIP) to include updates to the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) air quality rules.
To ensure ORCAA’s rules are federally enforceable, the federal Clean Air Act requires they be submitted as SIP revisions to EPA. Ecology is the delegated agency for submitting revisions to the Washington SIP.
Ecology invites the public to provide comments on whether we should submit the proposed SIP revision to EPA.
- View the proposed SIP revision (public review draft) at our Infrastructure, rule and program plans webpage.
Public comment period
- February 8 to March 17, 2024
Online public hearing
- March 12, 2024, at 10:00 a.m.
- Register for the public hearing
To submit or view comments:
- Comment online
- Mail to: Linda Kildahl, Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600
- Testify at the public hearing on March 12, 2024
Background
ORCAA’s Board of Directors adopted the rule updates on January 11, 2023, and they took effect on March 6, 2023.
The rule updates removed the prohibition on recreational fires (e.g. small campfires) in the cities of Olympia, Lacey, and Tumwater in Thurston County, Washington. No other areas in ORCAA’s jurisdiction were affected.
The prohibition on recreational fires had been in effect in the cities of Olympia, Lacey, and Tumwater since March 2011. ORCAA has since determined that the recreational fire prohibition is no longer needed to attain or maintain national ambient air quality standards for course particulates (larger particles or PM10) in these areas. The removal of this prohibition makes the rules on recreational fires for these cities consistent with all other cities in ORCAA’s jurisdiction.
No new rules, requirements, or changes to existing state or local rules are being proposed.
