Using 1 gas mower for 1 hour is equivalent to driving 1 car 140 miles.

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CLEAN AIR MATTERS

Spring 2003 Edition

In this issue:

It's as clear as day: Customer feedback is central to agency’s success
Clean Air Agency takes lead in reshaping U.S. air monitoring strategy
Ships converting to cleaner diesel
News in brief
Agency sleuths seek solutions to stinky odors
Winter weather brought 14 burn-ban days
Agency testifies on burn-ban legislation

It's as clear as day: Customer feedback is central to agency’s success

When our customers share their opinions, they aren’t just “clearing the air.” And their comments don’t “vanish into thin air.” In fact, we ask for it. The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency depends on our customers, partners and the public to guide our policies and work plans. As a result, our air gets a “cleaner bill of health” every year.

“It would be easy to devise laws, regulations and special programs on our own. However, I believe that would set us up for failure because we hadn’t considered the opinions and concerns of affected businesses, organizations and individuals,” said Dennis McLerran, the agency’s executive director.

Instead, the agency invests significant amounts of time getting feedback. We conduct surveys and distribute questionnaires. We hold public hearings. We notify businesses about proposed regulation changes. We hold workshops to get opinions on fee and regulatory changes. We are guided by an active, hands-on Board of Directors and the expertise of our Advisory Council. We hold all-day workshops on issues such as how to help gas stations keep harmful gasoline vapors out of the air (see Winter 2003 story). We solicit comments from visitors to our Web site.

One of the biggest investments we make is in what we call “stakeholder groups.” These groups tackle knotty issues. They bring representatives of affected constituencies to the table (literally) to advise us on key issues such as fine-particle and ozone pollution. Members attend meetings, read research, take issues back to their constituents, hammer out recommendations and produce reports. The recommendations are generally adopted by our Board of Directors and form the basis for agency priorities and work plans.

"Have our programs made a difference?"

We also make a big investment in querying the public. We are especially interested in finding out if people are actually changing their behavior as a result of our programs. We ask, for example, if people have switched to non-polluting natural gas fireplaces or electric mowers or if they drive less during summer smog watches or winter burn bans.

So we use telephone, paper or paperless (Web) questionnaires to look for behavior changes. See our questionnaire (inserted in this newsletter) for an example (and please fill it out, too!). Another example is a random survey conducted every three years. It tracks attitudes toward clean-air issues and behaviors affecting air quality, such as how people are using their fireplaces and wood stoves, their outdoor burning habits and so on. The results help us design more effective clean-air messages and programs.

A third example is the brief questionnaire we sent in January to our 2,100 subscribers to the Clean Air Network, an e-mail notification list. We asked what steps people took when we sent them calls-to-action (early warnings of air stagnation and notifications of burn bans and smog watches).

Not only did we get a 14 percent return rate (3 percent is considered good), we learned that the Clean Air Network is a successful program. For example, as shown on the chart, three-fourths of the respondents stopped burning wood in the winter after receiving a call-to-action and 36 percent delayed using gasoline-powered yard equipment in the summer until the weather cooled.

People appreciate the program enough to forward our e-mail calls-to-action to at least 75,000 individuals and 156 businesses or organizations. One radio-station traffic reporter said he sends our messages to “thousands.” We received many comments underscoring the network’s value:

“While I telecommute if possible, what I do more often is avoid or delay out-of-office meetings that would require driving.”	“The Web page and messages are very useful, because otherwise I wouldn’t know there was a ban if I missed the local news (which I have to see at the exact moment they run the “burn ban” story).”
“Although I carefully use a certified wood stove, I use your e-mail alerts to know when to be good neighbor and let the fire go out. Thanks!”	“I think this is one of my most useful mass e-mails that I receive.”
“If I have an appointment that day/days, I try to change it to keep the car and myself off the road. Thanks for the good work you do!”

Other comments suggest that the network is promoting long-term behavior change, not just short-term actions:

“I have replaced my wood stove with a gas fired stove!”

“We don’t use gasoline-powered yard equipment. I am also more aware of the driving I do and won’t run errands that are a long distance away. I also more consciously combine errands—I usually do combine errands, but I am even more aware of the need to do so when the air quality is down.”

Here’s your chance to give us feedback. Please fill out our online questionairre. We’ll publish the results in the next edition of Clean Air Matters.

Clean Air Agency takes lead in reshaping U.S. air monitoring strategy

Each filter is only the size of a slice of salami. Every week, fresh ones (filters, not salami) need to be weighed in our lab, taken to air-monitoring sites five to 35 miles away and installed. The filters trap air pollutants for 24 hours. Within seven days, the filters need to be collected, returned to our lab and weighed again. Then the result is entered into a database. All this happens to get one number from one filter — days after the pollution occurred.

This will change soon.

Most monitoring sites throughout the country use this manual “reference method” to track fine-particle pollution. However, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has taken the lead over the last decade in testing and proving the benefits of new “continuous monitoring” technologies that give us real-time air-quality data and support air-quality forecasting.

Executive Director Dennis McLerran and Technical Services Manager Mike Gilroy are using that decade of experience as they play pivotal national-level roles in a comprehensive overhaul of the nation’s air monitoring system. The overhaul began in 2001.

“The reshaped national system will be consistent with the good-government principles that have guided the Clean Air Agency,” said McLerran. “The system will be more efficient and effective. It will return the best-quality results for the taxpayers’ money.It will focus more on protecting public health.”

Filling lead roles has required a large investment of time by McLerran and Gilroy — but the new approach will benefit this region and the entire country. It will:

offer useful, real-time information throughout the nation, using our agency programs as models.
expand the use of new technology to better analyze air pollution.
shift the emphasis to emerging health threats: fine particles, ground-level ozone and air toxics.
save money by using continuous monitors instead of labor-intensive reference-method monitors; reducing duplication; and putting fewer resources into tracking the four pollutants that have been significantly reduced over the last 30 years.
enhance scientific research by using the latest technology and tracking multiple pollutants at the same sites.
give local and state agencies greater flexibility.

McLerran co-chairs the key group representing state and local air agencies on monitoring issues. The Air Monitoring Committee is sponsored by State and Territorial Air Pollution Program Administrators /Association of Local Air Pollution Control Officials (STAPPA/ALAPCO). The committee has a very strong role in shaping EPA’s national air monitoring methods and strategies, which are carried out on the ground by state and local air agencies.

Gilroy is a central player, working directly with key U.S. Environ-mental Protection Agency staff and the committee developing the strategy (the National Monitoring Strategy Committee, a partnership between EPA, STAPPA/ALAPCO and tribes).

“Control programs have sub-stantially reduced emissions of many pollutants over the past 30 years. At the same time, scientists have identified new issues of concern such as air toxics, and new technologies to help us address those issues are now available,” said Gilroy. “We’re helping bring the national system into the 21st century.”

Ships converting to cleaner diesel

Going on a sightseeing cruise to Alaska this year? If you book your reservations on the beautiful Star Princess or Amsterdam, you’ll breathe easier. In cooperation with the Port of Seattle and the Clean Air Agency, Princess Cruise Lines has agreed to burn highway diesel fuel while in port at Terminal 30, starting May 17. Highway diesel has lower levels of sulfur and emits fewer pollutants than the diesel fuel normally used for ship engines. Although this higher grade of fuel costs a few pennies more per gallon, we expect a significant drop in emissions of sulfur oxides and toxic diesel soot.

News in brief

Agency calendar receives Totem Award

The Clean Air Agency’s 2003 Clean Air Calendar received a Totem Award in the Annual Report category on March 6 from the Puget Sound Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. One judge gave it 98 out of 100 possible points for research, planning, execution, quality and evaluation. Another judge wrote, “This is a great idea and wonderfully executed. Great job!”

PNWIS recognizes Pierce Transit and Port of Seattle

Two Clean Air Agency partners — Pierce Transit and the Port of Seattle — received Environmental Achievement awards in November 2002 from Pacific Northwest International Section of the Air & Waste Management Association.

The award to Pierce Transit recognized the agency’s pioneering efforts to convert its bus fleet to compressed natural gas. Almost three-fourths of its 247 buses now run on CNG.
Ron Shipley, Director of Maintenance, says the entire fleet will be “lean, green, Clean Machines” within three years.

And, as reported in the Spring 2003 issue of Clean Air Matters, the Port of Seattle’s Aviation Division is purchasing natural gas vehicles, using cleaner diesel fuel, installing a system to eliminate exhaust from idling jets and more. It also opened a publicly accessible CNG station near the airport.

April brings discounted non-polluting lawn mowers

Area retailers will be offering non-polluting electric mulching and manual push mowers at significant discounts in April during Northwest Natural Yard Days. We partner with other environmental agencies on the program to encourage people to switch from gasoline-powered mowers. The retailers will also be discounting compost, organic fertilizer, soaker hoses, etc. For more information, visit their Web site or call (206) 296-4466.

Agency sleuths seek solutions to stinky odors

By Mike Schultz, agency communications specialist

Something smells fishy." "You're raising a stink." "I smell a rat." "Stop and smell the roses." What do these phrases have in common? On the one hand, they all simply incorporate odor as a metaphor. On the other hand, they point out how the concept of odors has permeated our psyche, our culture, our language.

As an air pollutant, odor is different from the more traditional pollutants we regulate. Odors are subjective. They are not easy to quantify or measure. Further, what some people find enjoyable and pleasing, others find offensive and irritating.

It's a major concern for the public, …

Though regulating odors is challenging, the Clean Air Agency puts a lot of effort into dealing with odor complaints. Why? Because it is important to our customers. Offensive odors interfere with people's lives.

Over the past year, we averaged nearly 200 complaints per month. About two-thirds were for odors (most other complaints were about asbestos; smoke from wood stoves and fireplaces in the winter; and dust during the summer).

And what are the sources of odors that people complain about? Most are landfills, composting facilities and spray paint operations. Business parks are frequent targets because of incompatible zoning.

People also complain about odors from businesses that produce food products for humans or household pets. For example, you may like the occasional smell of freshly baked bread. But if you live downwind from a bakery and smell that odor day after day, it can lose its appeal.

so we help you complain, …

What happens when you call the agency to complain? To start with, you'll speak with one of our patient, helpful customer-service staffers. Ann Gaffke, who has more than a dozen years of experience, says "people are often angry and upset when they call — if they weren't upset, they wouldn't be calling to complain. So we help people vent, and then explain how the agency deals with complaints about odor."

You will be asked for background information, including what you know about the odor and its origin. That's so they can determine if the odor is under our jurisdiction. If your complaint relates to aircraft emissions, dead animals, indoor air pollution, noise or mold, you will be referred to the appropriate agency.

then we investigate ...

Air pollution complaints are forwarded to a field inspector for investigation. The inspector will work with you to document an odor violation. First, the inspector confirms that the complaint is about odors in the outdoor air at the location of your work or residence. Then he or she has to do three things in the same visit:

in your presence, smell the odor and confirm that the intensity exceeds a regulatory threshold;
document where the odor is coming from; and
get a written statement from you on how you are being adversely impacted by that odor at that particular time (unable to remain in own yard, eyes watering, ...)

Odors are often fleeting, so it can be a challenge to get the complainant, the inspector and the odor in the same place at the same time. However, "this approach has stood test of time," said Jim Nolan, agency compliance director. "The Hearings Board has always upheld our cases because we take the time to do it right."

… and we work hard to solve the case.

We often take care of odor problems without enforcement action. "In many instances, if we let the offending party know about the odor concern and the legal course we're prepared to take, they are willing to fix the problem immediately," said Supervising Inspector Rick Hess. "This avoids costly legal action for us and prevents fines for those creating the odors."

In other cases, we have to issue one or more fines to get action. Most of the time, our inspectors know where the odor is coming from. So they make repeated visits to the site until they have documented the intensity and impacts of the odor.

Sometimes, solving the "origin puzzle" can be daunting. A current investigation in south Seattle involves particularly elusive, irritating odors affecting communities in an area of several square miles.

Our agency has interviewed people who have called with a complaint; mapped wind directions at specific times and correlated the data with the times people called to complain; worked extensively with the Seattle Fire Department and King County Metro; investigated numerous possible industrial sources; and more.

"We know one source is a cement plant," said Supervising Inspector Mario Miller. "However, our inspectors are looking at the possibility of one or more other sources of the irritating odors. Though this case is challenging, our inspectors are tenacious — we are confident we'll solve the puzzle and the problem."

The bottom line? The agency's regulations say it is unlawful to cause or allow odors that interfere with another person's enjoyment of life or property. If it stinks, it's bad, and that's not good.

To register an odor complaint with the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, call (206) 343-8800 or (800) 552-3565.

Winter weather brought bountiful burn bans

It’s a simple formula: El Niño = winter stagnation = burn bans. We’ve had other El Niño winters, but not with this number and duration of beautiful, sunny, crisp … but stagnant … days. As a result, we had more burn-ban days — a lot more — than usual.

Over the past 10 years, we’ve had about four burn-ban days per winter. This winter season, we called three burn bans and had a total of 14 burn-ban days.

The good news is our data clearly show that people kept pollution from getting worse after we alerted our Clean Air Network (an e-mail notification system) and the media about air-stagnation problems.

As network members reported to us in January (see story ), they quit using their uncertified wood stove or fireplace, switched to manufactured logs, drove less and took other steps. Those actions had an impact.

We invite you to join the Clean Air Network.

Agency testifies on burn-ban legislation

Representative Ruth Kagi introduced legislation in the state House of Representatives (HB 1618) requiring the state Department of Ecology to modify the burn-ban trigger through regulation by April 2004.

Air Resources Manager Dave Kircher testified at a Feb. 3 hearing on the bill about our preferred approach. He strongly supported the proposal to base wintertime burn bans on fine-particle (PM2.5) levels instead of course-particle pollution (PM10). However, he said more work needed to be done with stakeholders on some details.

Kircher said the revised trigger should be modified by statute, not by regulation, and should be based on analysis of historical data, meteorological models, etc. He volunteered to work with stakeholders (the public, businesses, health advocacy organizations, air-quality agencies and others) to develop a recommendation for the next legislative session.

Under the existing burn ban legislation, when we predict an extended wintertime inversion and rising pollution levels, we call a temporary burn ban and prohibit burning in fireplaces and uncertified wood stoves — unless it is the home’s only source of heat. We also temporarily ban all outdoor burning in those rural areas where it is otherwise still allowed.

Existing state law does not match growing scientific knowledge about the damaging health effects of fine particles.

Right now, we can only call a Stage One Burn Ban to protect people’s health when course-particle pollution, or PM10, hits a certain level during a weather inversion. Unfortunately, fine-particle, or PM2.5, levels usually are in “Moderate” or “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” categories by the time the law allows us to issue a burn ban.

Thus, burn bans sometimes come too late to protect sensitive people with asthma, emphysema, heart disease and other ailments.

Using a carefully crafted trigger based on PM2.5 pollution instead of PM10 would better protect public health.

About the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency

The mission of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is to ensure that people in King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties have clean, healthy air to breathe. Our job is to provide air quality management services on behalf of cities and counties for their citizens. We do this by adopting and enforcing air quality regulations, sponsoring voluntary initiatives to improve air quality, and educating people and businesses about clean-air choices. To learn more about our work, visit us at www.pscleanair.org.