Wash. Admin. Code Northwest Clean Air Agency, 100, 102

Current through Register Vol. 24-23, December 1, 2024

Section 102 - POLICY

102.1 It shall be the policy of the NWCAA to secure and maintain such levels of air quality as will protect human health and safety, prevent injury to plant and animal life and to property, and foster the comfort and convenience of the inhabitants of this area in order to facilitate their enjoyment of the area's natural beauty and thus promote economic and social well-being.

102.2 In order to carry out the requirements of the Washington Clean Air Act and to provide uniform administration and enforcement, the NWCAA adopts the following policies, procedures, standards, prohibitions, and ambient air quality objectives.

The establishment of control procedures, compliance schedules, emission and ambient air standards, and prohibitions are the administrative means of achieving this goal.

102.3 Guidelines

In carrying out its responsibilities for air pollution control the NWCAA is concerned with the interrelationship of land use, activities of people, and industries since each of these contributes to the overall air pollution problem. The ongoing program carried out by the NWCAA attempts to seek solutions to existing problems and to develop strategies for prevention of problems as the area of jurisdiction experiences growth and change. To accomplish this best, it is necessary for the NWCAA to enter into the planning stages of domestic and industrial development and to participate with other agencies in decisions on location of population and industrial centers considering the kinds of air contaminants these may emit in relation to those from surrounding areas. Coordination with air pollution authorization and other agencies in contiguous areas is necessary.

In the development of strategies, it is necessary to consider three very interrelated areas and develop appropriate guidelines for:

(a) Minimal degradation of air quality.

(b) Implementation of land use and zoning.

(c) Population density control.

102.4 Minimal Degradation Guidelines

It shall be the policy of the NWCAA not to allow the atmosphere to degrade below the levels set out by appropriate air quality objectives. These are the points where the health, comfort, and convenience of the individual is assured and the effects of air pollution are known not to occur. To achieve this objective, it shall be necessary, when growth or change occurs, to:

102.41 Require the best practical technology for those who locate here or are required to upgrade their facilities.

102.42 Allow expansion of an area only if the probable emissions of the newcomers, when added to those from presently existing facilities, are not likely to cause violations of existing ambient air standards.

102.5 Land Use Planning and Zoning

Zoning is the most effective way to regulate land use. The practice in land use planning to allocate certain districts for particular uses can create a problem.

By locating too many units which emit similar types of pollutants in one area, a problem may be created which would ordinarily not exist or be of minimal consequence if the units were more scattered.

Air pollution control authorities have a responsibility to minimize the impact of air contaminants and to keep the air basins within the NWCAA's jurisdiction below the air quality objectives even under the most adverse meteorological conditions. The NWCAA thus has a planning responsibility in terms of warning and insuring that incompatible land uses do not occur. It is the policy of the NWCAA to work with other agencies to assure that:

102.51 Incompatible land uses are discouraged.

102.52 Zones are intermixed in such a way that air pollution problems may be minimized.

102.53 Zones are not made so large that air pollution problems are created by locating too may units with similar emissions. In industrial zones, the industries should be dissimilar in nature to minimize the concentration of a single contaminant.

102.6 Population Density Control

In land use planning the density of use is an important factor to consider along with the type of zone degradation. In problem areas, often times the type of zone is not at fault but too many units of a given type are allowed.

It shall be the policy of the NWCAA, in order to minimize the population density problem to recommend that:

102.61 Zones should be intermixed in such a way that high density zones are intermixed with low density zones so as to reduce air contaminant output.

102.62 As the density of zones becomes greater, consideration must be given to restricting the number of units a given zone can accommodate.

102.63 Concentrations of population or industries be allowed only up to the point where there is reason to believe that the air quality objectives in a given air basin are not likely to be exceeded.

Wash. Admin. Code Northwest Clean Air Agency, 100, 102

PASSED: January 8, 1969 AMENDED: February 14, 1973, August 9, 1978, February 10, 1993, May 11, 1995, July 14, 2005