CITY OF SPOKANE VALLEY Request for Council Action

Transcription

1 CITY OF SPOKANE VALLEY Request for Council Action Meeting Date: July 28, 2015 Department Director Approval : Item: Check all that apply: consent old business new business public hearing information admin. report pending legislation AGENDA ITEM TITLE: Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency GOVERNING LEGISLATION: PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION TAKEN: BACKGROUND: Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency Executive Director Julie Oliver will give an overview of the Agency. RECOMMENDED ACTION OR MOTION: n/a STAFF CONTACT: ATTACHMENTS: PowerPoint Presentation Chart showing local assessment calculations for 2016 and 2015 Fact Sheet Regarding Proposed Revision to Exiting Ozone Standard

2 working with you for clean air Your Local Clean Air Agency Mission: Preserve, enhance and protect Spokane County's air resource for current and future generations 1

3 Overview of Presentation Who is Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency? How are we governed? What do we do and why? How are we funded? Fiscal Stewardship 2

4 Who is Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency? One of seven local clean air agencies in Washington Where no local clean air agency exists, the Department of Ecology steps in Formed in 1969, under the 1967 WA Clean Air Act (Chapter RCW) which specifies the agency s authority and responsibilities Administers state, federal and local laws and regulations for managing air quality throughout Spokane County 3

5 How are we governed? Spokane Clean Air has a governing Board of Directors: One County Commissioner One representative from the largest city One representative from the second largest city A representative of the County s small cities and towns A member-at-large who is appointed by the Board members The Executive Director manages the day-to-day operations 4

6 Advisory Council 9-member volunteer Advisory Council appointed by the Board Offers advice on air pollution policies, regulations, and programs Represents the following areas of expertise: Agriculture Air pollution control Chemistry Environment Fire protection Industry Public Health A representative from the business community Member at large 5

7 SRCAA Staff (17.8 FTEs) Compliance - conducts inspections, responds to citizen complaints, enforces air pollution regulations and participates in public education programs Engineering - reviews facility permit applications and assists businesses in their understanding of the regulations and in their selection of control technologies Technical Services - maintains the air monitoring network, conducts data analysis and quality assurance, provides computer assistance to staff Education/Communications - develops and implements programs to inform and educate local residents and businesses about air quality Administrative - provides a variety of specialized clerical assistance, performs work in accounting, records management, and human resources

8 What do we do and why? Protecting public health and welfare are fundamental components of the federal Clean Air Act, state law, and is the purpose of state and local clean air agencies sensitive" populations such as asthmatics, children, and the elderly. protection against decreased visibility and damage to animals, crops, vegetation, and buildings. 7

9 Achieving Clean Air Standards Spokane Clean Air implements multiple programs to protect the air we breathe Some of the programs are required by federal and/or state law, other programs are adopted by our Board to meet our local needs Programs are designed to attain and maintain National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) 8

10 Key Agency Programs Air Monitoring, forecasting, reporting, burn restrictions Notice of Construction (Business Permits) 45/yr Registration/inspection (630+ sources, 400 onsite inspections/yr) Business Assistance 9

11 Key Agency Programs Complaint Response 650 citizen complaints/year 250 staff initiated activities/year Enforcement 275 verbal and written warnings/yr 75 written Notices of Violations/yr Education/Outreach Outdoor burning Wood heating Asbestos 10

12 Attainment Status Currently in attainment with NAAQS for all pollutants We are considered a maintenance area for two former nonattainment pollutants (Particulate Matter 10 microns and smaller, Carbon Monoxide) EPA is mandated under the Federal Clean Air Act to review NAAQS every 5 years Standards continue to tighten because of emerging information regarding health effects Continuing to meet the health-based standards requires ongoing work 11

13 Impacts of Not Meeting Air Quality Standards PUBLIC HEALTH Pollution exposure Property values Relocation ECONOMIC IMPACT ON BUSINESS More stringent regulation Expensive pollution controls Affects expansion and new business LOCAL GOVERNMENT Costs to implement plans Community stigma Growth limiter

14 How are we funded? State and federal grants Full and partial cost recovery (fee-based) programs Air Operating Permit (AOP) Asbestos Notice of Construction (NOC) Registration (inspection) program Civil penalties Local assessments Annual operating budget of approx. $2 million 13

15 Local Assessments Per RCW (1)(c) and (2)(c), fees are assessed based on a combination of the: assessed property value and population of each city or town, and assessed property value and population of the unincorporated areas of the county Total income from local assessment fees is $609,225 The total dollars collected have been held constant since 1999 Anticipate an increase in CY

16 Fiscal Stewardship is a Priority Cost Saving Measures Moved from rented office space at the Health District in 2009 to our own building which is now paid for One secretarial position was eliminated in 2011 Eliminated a higher level, managerial position vacant since 2013 Created a non-managerial, technical position to do work that can no longer be put aside beginning in FY 2016 Employees contribute 20% toward dependent health insurance costs Partnerships with other agencies to leverage resources 15

17 Questions? Julie Oliver, Executive Director (509) , ext

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19 Proposed Revisions to National Air Quality Standards for Ozone Overview A Message from the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency In late 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to strengthen the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ground-level ozone, based on extensive scientific evidence about ozone s effects on public health and welfare. The proposed standards are a range of parts per million. The current standard is The Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee and EPA have determined that a revised standard will improve public health protection, particularly for children, the elderly and people of all ages who have lung diseases such as asthma. The proposed standards reflect strong scientific evidence regarding the harmful effects of ozone on human health and welfare (trees, plants, crops and ecosystems) including more than 1,000 new studies. Decades of research links ozone to asthma attacks, bronchitis, heart attacks and premature death. EPA analyses show that reducing ozone can improve yields for timber and some crops, such as soybeans and winter wheat. About Ozone Ozone is the main component of smog. It is not emitted directly into the air but forms when nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and other pollutants cook in the sun. That s why ozone levels are highest during the summer in most parts of the country. In our area, VOC and NOx emissions come mostly from the transportation sector. VOCs come from the evaporation of gasoline during vehicle refueling, and from chemical solvents and industrial emissions. NOx comes from any kind of combustion process such as motor vehicles, industrial operations and home heating. Ozone-forming pollutants are also emitted from natural sources such as vegetation (VOCs and methane), animals (methane) and lightning (NOx). Millions of Americans are affected by ozone pollution. At-risk groups include: Children, because their lungs are still developing and they are more likely to be active outdoors. They are also more likely to have asthma. People with lung disease such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Older adults People who are active outdoors, such as outdoor workers Breathing ozone can lead to: More medication use for people with asthma More frequent visits to the doctor Missed school days Missed work days More emergency room visits and hospital admissions Increased risk of premature death from lung or heart diseases (continued on back) working with you for clean air

20 Proposed Revised Standards for Ground-Level Ozone Pollution Can ozone be both good and bad? Ozone can have good or bad effects, depending on where it s located in the atmosphere. Close to the Earth s surface, ground-level or bad ozone is harmful to breathe and it damages crops, trees and other vegetation. High up in the atmosphere, stratospheric or good ozone protects life on Earth from the sun s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. One way to remember whether ozone is good or bad for us is, good up high, bad nearby. What are Spokane s ozone levels? The chart below depicts our ozone trends over the last several years. The shaded range is the proposed standard. If the standard is set on the low end, we could be facing some challenges to keep meeting the revised standard. Data from the next two summer ozone seasons (2015 and 2016) will provide valuable information. Determining an area s attainment status is based on a 3-year average of monitored ozone levels. What are the timelines for final rule, designations and attainment? The final rule will be announced by October 1, Tribes and states submit designation recommendations to EPA by October 1, 2016, based on monitored ozone levels. EPA makes final designations by October 1, 2017, based on monitored ozone levels. Areas not meeting the revised standard have specified amounts of time to come into attainment of the standard depending on the monitored ozone values. Under the Clean Air Act, states and tribes are not responsible for reducing emissions that are not in their control. For more information on ozone, visit air/ozonepollution Spokane County Ozone Levels 8-hour data, 3-year averages Current Standard (0.075 ppm) Proposed Range of New Ozone Standard ( ppm) parts per million To attain this standard, the 3-year average of the fourth-highest daily maximum 8-hour average ozone concentrations measured at each monitor within an area over each year must not exceed ppm. Feb E. Augusta 3104 E. Augusta Ave. Spokane, Avenue WA Spokane, WA FAX: W. College Ave., Ste 403 Spokane, WA FAX: