OLYMPIA — The state Department of Ecology seeks public comment on a proposed air quality plan for lead.
Comments will be accepted through March 24.
The plan does not add rules or change requirements for controlling lead.
Instead it demonstrates to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that the rules and programs are in place to ensure the state continues to meet the federal lead standard, Ecology said.
After the public comment period has closed and comments are reviewed, Ecology will submit the plan to EPA for approval.
Once approved, the plan will be added to the comprehensive State Implementation Plan for protecting air quality.
Lead air pollution levels decreased by 94 percent between 1980 and 1999, primarily because lead was removed from gasoline, Ecology said.
The larger sources of lead emissions to the air are from ore and metals processing and small aircraft that use leaded aviation gasoline, the department said, adding lead levels are low in the state, with no areas that violate the federal air quality standard for lead.
The plan can be reviewed at http://tinyurl.com/pdn-ecologylead.
Comments can be submitted by email to AQComments@ecy.wa.gov and by mail to Laurie Hulse-Moyer, Washington Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600.
The public can request a hearing. Public hearing requests must be received no later than March 17.
Requests can be submitted to Hulse-Moyer by email at laurie.hulse-moyer@ecy.wa.gov or by phone at 360-407-6783.
If a hearing request is received by the deadline, the hearing will be at 10 a.m. March 20 at Ecology headquarters: 300 Desmond Drive, Lacey.
