The department of ecology is hereby authorized to develop an episode avoidance plan providing for the phased reduction of emissions wherever and whenever an air pollution episode is forecast. Such an episode avoidance plan shall conform with any applicable federal standards and shall be effective statewide. The episode avoidance plan may be implemented on an area basis in accordance with the occurrence of air pollution episodes in any given area.
The department of ecology may delegate authority to adopt source emission reduction plans and authority to implement all stages of occurrence up to and including the warning stage, and all intermediate stages up to the warning stage, in any area of the state, to the air pollution control authority with jurisdiction therein.
The episode avoidance plan, which shall be established by regulation in accordance with chapter 34.05 RCW, shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(1) The designation of episode criteria and stages, the occurrence of which will require the carrying out of preplanned episode avoidance procedures. The stages of occurrence shall be (a) forecast, (b) alert, (c) warning, (d) emergency, and such intermediate stages as the department shall designate. "Forecast" means the presence of meteorological conditions that are conducive to accumulation of air contaminants and is the first stage of an episode. The department shall not call a forecast episode prior to the department or an authority calling a first stage impaired air quality condition as provided by RCW 70A.15.3580(1)(b) or calling a single-stage impaired air quality condition as provided by RCW 70A.15.3580. "Alert" means concentration of air contaminants at levels at which short-term health effects may occur, and is the second stage of an episode. "Warning" means concentrations are continuing to degrade, contaminant concentrations have reached a level which, if maintained, can result in damage to health, and additional control actions are needed and is the third level of an episode. "Emergency" means the air quality is posing an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health and is the fourth level of an episode;
(2) The requirement that persons responsible for the operation of air contaminant sources prepare and obtain approval from the director of source emission reduction plans, consistent with good operating practice and safe operating procedures, for reducing emissions during designated episode stages;
(3) Provision for the director of the department of ecology or his or her authorized representative, or the air pollution control officer if implementation has been delegated, on the satisfaction of applicable criteria, to declare and terminate the forecast, alert, warning and all intermediate stages, up to the warning episode stage, such declarations constituting orders for action in accordance with applicable source emission reduction plans;
(4) Provision for the governor to declare and terminate the emergency stage and all intermediate stages above the warning episode stage, such declarations constituting orders in accordance with applicable source emission reduction plans;
(5) Provisions for enforcement by state and local police, personnel of the departments of ecology and social and health services, and personnel of local air pollution control agencies; and
(6) Provisions for reduction or discontinuance of emissions immediately, consistent with good operating practice and safe operating procedures, under an air pollution emergency as provided in RCW 70A.15.6020.
Source emission reduction plans shall be considered orders of the department and shall be subject to appeal to the pollution control hearings board according to the procedure in chapter 43.21B RCW.
[ 2020 c 20 § 1152; 2012 c 117 § 409; 1990 c 128 § 4; 1971 ex.s. c 194 § 2. Formerly RCW 70.94.715.]