UPDATE 7/02/2020: Public Comment/Hearing for the Proposed Updates to New Source Review, General Regulation

UPDATE 7/02/2020: The New Source Review/General Regulations Public Hearing scheduled for
July 9, 2020, 9:30 a.m., will be held remotely

Notice of Public Comment Period, Public Hearing regarding
Proposed Amendments:
New Source Review / General Regulation Updates

UPDATE 7/02/2020 – The New Source Review/General Regulations Public Hearing on July 9, 9:30 a.m., during SRCAA’s Board of Directors meeting, will be held remotely.

Pursuant to Governor Inslee’s Order 20-25, dated March 23, 2020, as extended and amended, all public meetings will be held remotely until 11:59 p.m. July 9, 2020, unless extended.

Therefore, the July 9, 2020, 9:30 a.m. public hearing will be held remotely versus in-person as previously scheduled.

Participant Information:

Participants may join the meeting by:

Online Zoom Meeting – click here

Meeting ID: 922 3927 1222

Password: 807 357

Use computer, tablet, or smartphone to participate in meeting: speakers to listen, microphone to speak, and monitor to view pre-hearing presentation. If your computer or tablet does not have speakers/microphone, you can still follow the presentation online and use the telephone option to listen and speak.

Telephone call in Zoom Meeting: 1-253-215-8782 US

Meeting ID: 922 3927 1222

Password: 807 357

Use telephone to participate in meeting. Download the pre-hearing presentation located here.

Public meeting format:

Welcome
Pre-hearing Presentation followed by a question and answer period.
Public Hearing where the public may provide oral comments.

All participants will be muted until invited to speak during the question and answer period and again during the Public Hearing to provide oral testimony.

Written Comments:

Written comments are being accepted up until the close of the second public hearing on July 9, 2020. Written comments receive the same weight as oral comments. Written comments may be submitted by mail or email:

SRCAA, Attention Margee Chambers, 3104 E. Augusta Ave., Spokane, WA 99207
PublicComment@spokanecleanair.org.

Background

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires state and local agencies to adopt federally-approved control strategies to attain and maintain health-based National Ambient Air Quality Standards. EPA then incorporates the regulations into a federally enforceable State Implementation Plan (SIP).

In order to meet federal and state requirements, Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency (SRCAA) is proposing amendments to some of its existing regulations. This follows several years of working with Ecology and EPA to identify all of the necessary updates. In addition, this provides SRCAA the opportunity to clean up regulatory language and formatting for improved clarity, readability and consistency.

The proposed amendments will not increase fees or add new requirements. The proposed amendments will:

Simplify compliance for regulated sources:
- Add adoption by reference (ABR) sections that specify which state and federal rules are ABR and specify the adoption date
- Streamline source test provisions and improve consistency with state and federal regulations
- Clarify registration program requirements and improve consistency with state regulations
- Clarify new source review requirements and improve consistency with state and federal regulations; simplify portable source permitting process, provide for more options for public involvement notification
Improve clarity, readability, formatting consistency among Articles
Improve consistency with state, federal regulations
Remove obsolete regulatory language
Meet federal enforceability requirements and EPA’s federal requirements for incorporation in the SIP
Make general housekeeping edits (typos, spelling errors, update citing).

Additional materials:

Info Sheet about the New Source Review/General Regulation updates and key dates for comments and hearings. A printable pdf.
An overview of the key proposed updates and potential effects to local businesses.
A table with a section by section summary of proposed amendments.
The full document with proposed amendments marked. To request a hard copy of this document, please contact Margee Chambers, mchambers@spokanecleanair.org or (509) 477-4727 ext. #114.
- Below are links to the start of each section for easier review of the full document, above. (116 pages):
  - Article I (pages 1-20), amending Sections 1.01-1.04, adding new Section 1.05
  - Article II (pages 20-34) amending Sections 2.01-2.15, adding new Sections 2.16-2.19
  - Article IV (pages 34-45) amending Sections 4.01-4.04, adding new Section 4.05
  - Article V (pages 45-65) amending Sections 5.01-5.15
  - Article VI (pages 65-104) amending Sections 6.01-6.09, 6.11, 6.13-6.15, 6.17
  - Article X (pages 104-112) amending Sections 10.02, 10.06-10.08, 10.11, 10.13
  - Consolidated Fee Schedule (pages 113-116) amending Sections 10.07-10.08, 10.13

Public Hearings:

Two Public Hearings will be held at SRCAA’s office, 3104 E. Augusta Avenue, Spokane, WA 99207*:

Tuesday, June 16, 2020, 6 p.m. Pursuant to Governor Inslee’s Order 20-28, dated March 24, 2020 as extended and amended, all public meetings, including public hearings, will be held remotely. See participation information at the top this webpage. A summary of the testimony provided at this hearing will be shared with the SRCAA Board and Executive Director.
Thursday, July 9, 2020, 9:30 a.m. during SRCAA’s regularly scheduled monthly Board of Directors meeting. At the end of the hearing, the Board of Directors may decide whether or not to adopt the proposed amendments. If our county has not moved into Phase 3 which allows our agency to open its offices to the public or if the Governor’s Order 20-28 is again extended, then this public hearing will also be held remotely. If held remotely, details will be provided prior to the public hearing.

*If the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order is still in effect in mid-June, this webpage will be updated with information about virtual public hearings.

Factsheet – Tips for providing public comments/public testimony