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Origin and Role 10x10b.gif (851 bytes) Responsibilities and Activities 10x10b.gif (851 bytes) Current Projects 10x10b.gif (851 bytes) Revenues

Origin and Role

The Benton Clean Air Agency (BCAA) is a municipal corporation, administratively separate from the County of Benton, created in compliance with Federal and State of Washington Clean Air Acts. A five-member board of directors, representing the county and cities, governs the BCAA. Benton County's commissioners and cities each appoint two directors. These four then appoint a fifth director.

The principal role of the BCAA is preservation of public health as it relates to outdoor air quality. In carrying out this role, the BCAA works with industry, individuals, cities, the county, and other local entities, whose activities potentially affect air quality.


Responsibilities and Activities

  • Air quality regulations, compliance, and enforcement:
    • Response to approximately 600 complaints annually.
    • Grant over 9000 outdoor burn permits including backyard, commercial, and agricultural.
    • Maintain registration of over 150 commercial and industrial sources of air pollutants.
    • Perform approximately 100 commercial and industrial inspections annually.
    • Process approximately 140 notices of asbestos removal and demolition annually.
    • Issue permits for and register new sources of air pollution.

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  • Monitor air quality and maintain air emissions inventory
    • Small particulate matter is directly measured.
    • Other pollutants are tracked by estimating emissions from registered (permitted) sources.
  • Public education and outreach:
    • Preparation of written materials
    • Public appearances
    • Media releases
  • Air quality program planning and development:
    • Meeting requirements of federal, state, and local regulations.
    • Coordination with Washington State Department of Ecology, the United States EPA, and local entities such as cities, county, conservation districts, and Washington State University.
    • Programs that have recently been developed are permit programs for outdoor burning; commercial and industrial source registration and permitting; enhanced complaint response and enforcement; and air quality monitoring.

Current Projects

  • Natural events policy implementation that deals specifically with particulate matter pollution caused by acts of nature.
  • Enhanced public education and outreach.
  • Construction and agricultural dust control.
    • Alternatives to residential backyard burning.
    • Enhanced engineering and technical assistance.
  • Official monitoring for and investigation of the new federal small particulate standard, PM2.5.

Revenues

Revenues for operating the BCAA come from several sources. Typical annual funding proportions are shown in the chart below.

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Local assessment for the BCAA from the cities and county, is 63 cents per capita. This is a small amount compared to expenditures on other health-related activities in Benton County.

Where there is not a local Air Pollution Control Authority, the Washington State Department of Ecology is the agency responsible for air pollution control. If you have questions or complaints about any air quality issue in these counties, please contact the Department of Ecology Air Program.

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