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Department of Ecology News Release - February 7, 2002
02-022
OLYMPIA -- The process for obtaining a key industrial air-quality permit could be shortened by as much as two months, under an agreement signed today by the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Ecology.
Ecology will now have full authority to issue all types of air quality permits on behalf of the EPA for industrial facilities that emit more than 40 tons per year of conventional air pollutants, including permits that regulate emissions of nitrogen oxides. Before, only EPA could issue "prevention of significant deterioration" (PSD) permits for nitrogen oxides, which meant businesses had to go through two separate processes to obtain all of their air permits.
"It has meant more work for our staff to coordinate with EPA, and it added an extra step for businesses, too," said Ecology Director Tom Fitzsimmons. "It has been a high priority for us to get the federal delegation so we could make this permit process work better."
Obtaining federal delegation of the PSD permit was listed in December as a high priority for the governor's Competitiveness Council, of which the Boeing Company was a member.
Kirk Thomson, Boeing's environmental-affairs director, said he welcomed EPA's decision.
"We appreciate the clear delegation of authority to the Department of Ecology. This will allow us to obtain permits in a timely fashion that allows us to do what we need to do, when we need to do it," said Thomson. "We are at our best when we at Boeing are working in close partnership with a professional from Ecology, moving toward the same goal. It means we get to the goal faster, and we get there together."
Ecology began adjusting its regulations more than two years ago to pave the way for taking over sole responsibility for issuing and enforcing PSD permits. The delegation will eliminate a lot of duplication, such as dual signatures on permits and dual levels of review.
"Having this delegation means faster turnaround and less work for all of us, without reducing environmental protection," said Fitzsimmons.
"This is a good step forward for everyone," said Barbara McAllister, EPA's air quality director in Region X. "It will help us focus our resources where they're needed most."
Mary Burg, who manages Ecology's air-quality program, said the delegation agreement is just the first step. Ecology still must adopt a regulation to implement the new federal authority and then get final buy-off from EPA. The rule-making process will take about 10 months, but now "we have a major hurdle behind us," said Burg
About five PSD permits are requested in Washington each year.
In other developments today, industry representatives have joined Ecology officials today to negotiate an agreement with EPA over what the federal agency will require major industrial facilities to do to certify the safety of thousands of "insignificant emissions" from their plants. The results of those discussions will be announced later.
Media contact: Sheryl Hutchison, Communication Director, 360-407-7004
Air quality Web site: www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/air/airhome.html
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
