PORT ANGELES — Olympic National Park is one of eight Washington parks and wilderness areas that are targeted for reductions in haze-making air pollution.
The state Department of Ecology said haze has reduced the views in national parks and wilderness area from an average of 140 miles to 35 to 90 miles in the western United States.
Comments can be submitted to Ecology until Oct. 6.
Ecology also will hold a public hearing on a draft Regional Haze State Implementation Plan at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Ecology headquarters, 300 Desmond Drive, Lacey.
Ecology also will provide an online “listen-only” option via the Internet. Space is limited. Register in advance at www2.gotomeeting.com/register/898726243.
According to a public review draft of the Washington State Regional Haze State Implementation Plan, sulfates were the highest contributor to haze in Olympic National Park in 2002.
Cumulative effect
Seth Preston, Ecology spokesman, said haze is a cumulative effect of automobile emissions, industry, wood stoves, wildfires and other sources.
Some of the pollution is coming from Canada or from Asia via the jet stream, Preston said.
“We’re looking at continuing to do some of the things that are already under way,” Preston said, referring to burn bans and vehicle emission standards.
“The idea is to control what we can control.”
Federal law requires states to submit plans to reduce air pollutants that affect visibility in 156 national parks and wilderness areas.
States must develop Regional Haze State Implementation Plans for specific periods between now and 2064 in a national effort to restore 140-mile visibility in “Class 1” areas.
Washington state has eight Class 1 areas. In addition to Olympic National Park, they are Mount Rainier National Park, North Cascades National Park, Glacier Peak Wilderness, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Goat Rocks Wilderness, Mount Adams Wilderness and Pasayten Wilderness.
The Environmental Protection Agency adopted a regional haze rule in 1999. The initial planning period runs through 2018.
“This effort is relatively new,” Preston said of the national effort.
Preston could not provide a comparison between the haze at Olympic National Park and the other parks and wilderness areas on the list.
The proposed plan can be viewed at the Port Townsend Library at 1220 Lawrence St., and at http://tinyurl.com/23juqd9.
Comments can be e-mailed to AQcomments@ecy.wa.gov or mailed to Doug Schneider, Washington Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600.
