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Department of Ecology News Release - October 25, 2004
04-196
OLYMPIA - The Department of Ecology (Ecology) is proposing a new regulation to help implement a new state law that creates regulatory parity for small and large power plants that burn fossil fuel.
The overall aim of the law is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from all power plants in the state because their emissions contribute to global warming, according to Melissa McEachron of Ecology's air quality program. Under the new law, small power plants supplying the state's power grid have to meet the same regulatory requirements as large plants.
In the proposed rule, small power plants generating less than 350 megawatts would be asked to submit carbon-dioxide mitigation plans before their air quality permits could be approved. The proposed rule also recommends how carbon dioxide emissions would be calculated, and it establishes a low fee that the plants would be charged to pay for the permitting program.
Under the new law, each small power plant may select from three options to offset its carbon dioxide emissions. These include making payments to a third party to provide the mitigation, purchasing permanent carbon-dioxide credits, or investing in carbon-dioxide mitigation projects, including cogeneration.
A public hearing on the proposed rule will be held in at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 30, in the Department of Ecology auditorium, 300 Desmond Drive S.E., Lacey, Wash.
Public comments on the rule will be accepted until Dec. 8. Written comments can be e-mailed to mmce461@ecy.wa.gov, mailed to Melissa McEachron, Department of Ecology, Air Quality Program, P.O. Box 47600, Lacey, Wash., 98504-7600, or faxed to McEachron at 360-407-7534.
A copy of the proposed rule can be found on Ecology's Web site at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/laws-rules/activity/wac173407.html. It also can be requested by calling McEachron at 360-407-6860 or by e-mailing her at mmce461@ecy.wa.gov.
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Media Contact: Sandy Howard, public information manager, 360-407-6239
CO2 rule: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/laws-rules/activity/wac173407.html
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
