ORCAATag Archives

ORCAA Approves Nippon Cooling Tower Permit

After careful consideration of all public input, Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) has approved the Notice of Construction (NOC) Application from Nippon Paper Industries USA (Nippon) for a Cooling Tower addition to their existing permitted facilities. The NOC allows construction and operation of a 5,500 gallons-per-minute cooling tower at their existing paper mill located at the base of Ediz Hook in Port Angeles, Washington.

ORCAA has assessed air quality implications of Nippon’s proposed project and considered all public comments and questions – more than 70 pages of comments and ORCAA responses were generated during the permitting process. ORCAA concluded that compliance with applicable air regulations and standards will be maintained and has issued the permit.

During the public process, ORCAA engineers provided detailed responses to all public inputs. ORCAA staff invested considerable time in fully investigating issues of concern before making a decision. One frequently expressed public comment was that the cooling tower was being permitted alone and that could mask the overall combined emissions. As noted in the detailed responses, ORCAA engineers did look at the combined impacts of the entire facility and found that the addition of the cooling tower would actually decrease the total particular matter (PM) emissions for Nippon. Additionally, there would be no change in permitting or source classification when all emissions sources were combined. Nippon is already classified as a major source under federal clean air laws, requiring the more stringent Air Operating Permit (AOP) under Title V of the U.S. Clean Air Act for its operation.

Citizens also expressed interest in having access to the monitoring data gathered from the in-stack monitors on the cooling tower. That data will be available to the public as soon as it is provided to ORCAA – once in ORCAA’s hands, it becomes public records and is available as such.

The full record of all public comments received and ORCAA’s responses to them, as well as the full NOC permit and supporting documents are available online at: http://www.orcaa.org/news/final-determinations.

admin
March 18, 2013
News and Information, Permits
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Stage Two Burn Ban called for Thurston County

A Stage Two Burn Ban was called for Thurston County, effective 10 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 13, 2013 and will continue indefinitely.

No burning is allowed in fireplaces or wood stoves (certified and uncertified), and all outdoor burning is prohibited, even in areas where outdoor burning is not permanently banned. The ban will be lifted only after a change in weather arrives to improve the air quality.

While pollution levels in Thurston County warrant the Stage Two Ban other counties within the jurisdiction of the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) haven’t reached that level. To avoid bans in their areas, the residents of Mason, Pacific, Grays Harbor, Clallam and Jefferson Counties are asked to voluntarily refrain from all outdoor burning, and to use safe alternatives to wood heat if possible.

Of particular concern are fine particles released by smoke from outdoor burning as well as from the use of wood stoves and fireplaces. The Washington State Department of Health recommends that people who are sensitive to air pollution limit time spent outdoors. Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, cause difficulty breathing, and make lung and heart problems worse. Air pollution is especially harmful to children, people with heart and lung problems, and adults over age 65.

Restrictions During a Stage 2 Burn Ban

  • No burning is allowed in ANY wood-burning fireplaces, wood stoves or fireplace inserts (certified or uncertified) or pellet stoves, unless this is your only adequate source of heat. Residents should rely instead on their home’s other, cleaner source of heat (such as their furnace or electric baseboard heaters) for a few days until air quality improves, the public health risk diminishes and the ban is cancelled.
  • If your fireplace, pellet stove, or wood stove is your only adequate source of heat and therefore must be used, you must operate it cleanly.
  • No visible smoke is allowed.
  • No outdoor fires of any kind are allowed. This includes recreational fires as well as the use of backyard fire kettles, chimineas or firepits.
  • Burn ban violations are subject to a monetary penalty.
  • During a Stage 2 ban, residents may use natural gas and propane appliances.

Olympic Region Clean Air Agency staff will continue to monitor the situation to determine when the burn ban can be lifted.

admin
January 13, 2013
Burn Status, Exec. Director's Desk, Health, News and Information
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Stage 1 Burn Ban CONTINUES in Thurston County

A Stage One Burn Ban CONTINUES to be in effect in Thurston County today and will reamin so until further notice.

Under a Stage 1 Ban, no burning is allowed in fireplaces or uncertified wood stoves, and all outdoor burning is prohibited, even in areas where outdoor burning is not permanently banned. Additionally, no visible smoke is allowed from any wood stove or fireplace, certified or not, beyond a 20-minute start-up period.

A system of stable, high pressure over Western Washington, coupled with cold overnight temperatures has resulted in air pollution levels climbing enough to raise concerns about the air quality and its impacts on health. A change in weather will be needed to restore cleaner air quality, yet that’s not forecast to occur until well into the week.

While pollution levels in Thurston County warrants the Stage One Ban, other counties within the jurisdiction of the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) haven’t reached that level. To avoid bans in their areas, the residents of Mason, Pacific, Grays Harbor, Clallam and Jefferson Counties are asked to voluntarily refrain from all outdoor burning, and to use safe alternatives to wood heat if possible.

Of particular concern are fine particles released by smoke from wood stoves and fireplaces. The Washington State Department of Health recommends that people who are sensitive to air pollution limit time spent outdoors. Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, cause difficulty breathing, and make lung and heart problems worse. Air pollution is especially harmful to children, people with heart and lung problems, and adults over age 65.

Olympic Region Clean Air Agency staff will continue to monitor the situation to determine when the burn ban can be lifted. In the meantime, here are some other things people can do to help protect the air we breathe:

  • If you have a certified wood stove or fireplace insert, make sure you are using it properly so you don’t produce excess chimney smoke. Excess smoke is always illegal. To learn more about clean burning techniques or upgrading to a certified, pellet, natural gas or propane stove, visit http://www.epa.gov/burnwise/
  • To determine if your stove is certified, visit www.orcaa.org.
  • Limit your driving as much as possible, since vehicles are a big source of air pollution year round. Consider utilizing Intercity Transit’s bus service in Thurston County as an alternative — and cleaner — means of transportation. www.intercitytransit.com

For more information about Burn Ban regulations, you may refer to Chapter 173-433 of the Washington Administrative Code.

admin
January 2, 2013
Burn Status, Health, News and Information
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Stage 1 Burn Ban called for Thurston County

A Stage One Burn Ban is being called for Thurston County effective 9 a.m. today (Dec. 31, 2012) and continuing until conditions warrant a change.

Under a Stage 1 Ban, no burning is allowed in fireplaces or uncertified wood stoves, and all outdoor burning is prohibited, even in areas where outdoor burning is not permanently banned. Additionally, no visible smoke is allowed from any wood stove or fireplace, certified or not, beyond a 20-minute start-up period.

A system of stable, high pressure over Western Washington, coupled with cold overnight temperatures has resulted in air pollution levels climbing enough to raise concerns about the air quality and its impacts on health. A change in weather will be needed to restore cleaner air quality, yet that’s not forecast to occur until well into the week.

While pollution levels in Thurston County warrants the Stage One Ban, other counties within the jurisdiction of the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) haven’t reached that level. To avoid bans in their areas, the residents of Mason, Pacific, Grays Harbor, Clallam and Jefferson Counties are asked to voluntarily refrain from all outdoor burning, and to use safe alternatives to wood heat if possible.

Of particular concern are fine particles released by smoke from wood stoves and fireplaces. The Washington State Department of Health recommends that people who are sensitive to air pollution limit time spent outdoors. Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, cause difficulty breathing, and make lung and heart problems worse. Air pollution is especially harmful to children, people with heart and lung problems, and adults over age 65.

Olympic Region Clean Air Agency staff will continue to monitor the situation to determine when the burn ban can be lifted. In the meantime, here are some other things people can do to help protect the air we breathe:

  • If you have a certified wood stove or fireplace insert, make sure you are using it properly so you don’t produce excess chimney smoke. Excess smoke is always illegal. To learn more about clean burning techniques or upgrading to a certified, pellet, natural gas or propane stove, visit http://www.epa.gov/burnwise/
  • To determine if your stove is certified, visit www.orcaa.org.
  • Limit your driving as much as possible, since vehicles are a big source of air pollution year round. Consider utilizing Intercity Transit’s bus service in Thurston County as an alternative — and cleaner — means of transportation. www.intercitytransit.com

For more information about Burn Ban regulations, you may refer to Chapter 173-433 of the Washington Administrative Code.

admin
December 31, 2012
Burn Status, Health, News and Information
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Six Ways to Beat Winter

With winter quickly approaching, now is the time to focus on ways to keep energy costs low while protecting the health and well-being of your family. Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offer these tips to help you do just that:

  1. Maintain your home heating system. Maintaining the efficiency of your home’s heating system can have a big effect on your utility bills. Dirt and neglect can impact the efficiency of furnaces, heat pumps and even the blower systems on wood and pellet stoves. Schedule an equipment checkup with a licensed HVAC contractor to make sure your system is operating at peak performance. You should also check your system’s air filter monthly and change it when it’s dirty. A dirty filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to keep you warm thus wasting energy. http://www.energystar.gov/homeimprovement
  2. Set your thermostat a few degrees lower, especially when no one is active at home. Programming thermostats to turn the temperature down 8 degrees for 7 hours each night and an additional 7 hours each weekday during the hours when everyone is at work or school could result in a seasonal heating savings of approximately 12 percent. For the average home, this could result in savings of about $180. http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_save_energy_at_home
  3. Burn only clean, well-cured firewood in your wood-burning appliance. When every dollar counts, it is important to get the most heat you can from your firewood. The solution is to make sure it is dry before you burn it. That can take 12 months or more. If you burn dry wood in your wood stove or fireplace regularly, you’ll experience great savings. And, it will take less work to build a fire with dry firewood. Visit http://burndryfirewood.com/
  4. Never burn garbage, cardboard, ocean driftwood or wet wood.  It is illegal to burn anything except untreated wood and manufactured firelogs. It is important that you do not burn household garbage, plastics, chemically treated paper or garbage. http://www.orcaa.org/burning/wood-stove-program
  5. Upgrade your wood-fired home heating system. If you replace an old wood stove with a more efficient one, efficiency can increase by 50 percent, 1/3 less wood can be used for the same heat and 70 percent less particle pollution indoors and out are produced. http://www.orcaa.org/burning/wood-stove-program
  6. Download EPA’s free Apps to help protect your health. The AIRNow app allows users to enter a zip code and get current particle pollution and ozone levels and forecasts for more than 400 cities across the country. The Ultraviolet (UV) Index provides an hourly forecast of the UV radiation levels from the sun. Both are available for Apple and Android phones. Learn more about these apps and the others: http://m.epa.gov/apps/index.html

 

admin
October 18, 2012
Exec. Director's Desk, Health, News and Information
2 comments
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