Puget Sound Clean Air Agency
Tips & Trivia
  • Using 1 gas mower for 1 hour is equivalent to driving 1 car 140 miles.
rounded lines

 Newsletter Main Page

CLEAN AIR NEWSLINE

January 2007 Edition

In this issue:

 

Burn Ban cancelled for King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties

The Stage One Burn Ban issued on Jan. 28th for King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties is cancelled, effective at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 31. The current weather pattern has brought improved mixing and dispersion of the fine particle pollution, which reached unhealthy levels over the last several days.

It’s been an active month as degrading air quality prompted two burn bans, one called Jan. 13 and then this last event.  We appreciate the public's cooperation with the burn bans, and encourage people to check current air quality conditions and air quality forecasts at our Web site www.pscleanair.org before they burn. Conditions can change quickly this time of year.

For those who heat with wood, please remember that it is always illegal to emit excess chimney smoke and to smoke out your neighbor. To learn more about clean burning techniques, visit www.burningclean.com .

 

Wanted: Pierce County candidates for Advisory Council public-at-large position

The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency’s Board of Directors is seeking candidates to fill a vacant public-at-large position representing Pierce County on its citizen Advisory Council. The Advisory Council is made up of individuals representing both regulated and non-regulated businesses, transportation, education, health and science, tribal interests, ports, fire officials, the environmental community and the public-at-large.

The role of the Advisory Council < www.pscleanair.org/about/advisory.aspx > is to provide counsel and input on agency programs and initiatives. The Advisory Council meets the second Wednesday of each month (except August) from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Advisory Council terms are for three years and the positions are unpaid.

The vacant position represents the public-at-large for Pierce County.  The Board is looking for candidates with the following qualifications:

  • A resident of Pierce County
  • Broad interest in air quality issues in Pierce County
  • Experience on citizen advisory groups, committees or with community-based organizations is also desirable.

Letters of interest must be submitted by February 23, 2007.  For more information and details on how to submit a letter of interest, visit www.pscleanair.org/news/newsroom/releases/2007/01_09_07_AdvisoryCouncilvacancy.aspx .

 

We’re moving (but not far)

Beginning Tuesday, February 20, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency will be located in a new office just a few blocks away from our current location.  Our phone numbers will remain the same.

Our new address will be:

1904 Third Avenue, Suite 105
Seattle, WA  98101

Thanks to lots of planning, we hope the public will notice little interruption in service while our actual move takes place.  While the bulk of our move will happen over the President’s Day holiday weekend, we do, however, anticipate our Web services will be unavailable from Wednesday evening, Feb. 14 until Thursday afternoon, Feb. 15.  And while agency staff will still be able to receive external e-mail, we will not have access to or be able to respond to it after 4:30 pm Wednesday, Feb. 14, until 7:00 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 20.  Our phone service will be transferred over the weekend and any incoming calls will be routed to our regular weekend answering service.

So why move?  Because our lease was coming due at our 1st and Union location, it was time to re-evaluate rental costs along with the agency’s space requirements.  Accessibility to bus, train and ferry services was a key reason to stay in the central downtown Seattle area as the majority of agency staff use public transportation.  And while the agency’s staff size continues at 70 people, our field staff now require less space when they do come to the office because they can now do more of their work remotely.  This means less square footage of office space is needed.  After looking at a variety of options, our Board of Directors approved our move to the Securities Building just a block north of Macy’s department store.  Close to $1 million in lease costs will be saved over the 10-year lease, compared with staying at our current location.

 

No Power, No Problem!
Hearth retailers offer special discounts on natural gas and propane stoves and fireplaces

Keeping homes warm during our winter storms has been challenging for many of us.

What’s more, outdated wood stoves and improper wood burning during the power outages caused serious air quality issues in our region.

So here’s an idea for staying warm while clearing the air next time the power goes out: switch to a natural gas or propane stove or fireplace insert < www.pscleanair.org/actions/woodstoves/gas.aspx >.  They’re the cleanest ways to heat your home. And, most don’t require electricity.  So next time, you can say “no power, no problem!”

The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency and the Northwest Hearth, Patio and Barbeque Association have joined together on a special promotional campaign that includes hot deals on natural gas and propane hearth products.  Listen for our radio ads that will start Feb. 19 and run through March 11.  To date, 16 retailers in the region have signed on to offer discounts and/or special financing starting in February, so it’s a great time to buy.

A list of members offering discounts will be posted to www.burningclean.com in mid-February.  The Web site also offers tips on how to burn wood properly for maximum heat with minimum smoke if you choose a wood stove or fireplace.

 

Save the Date: "Faster Freight -- Cleaner Air" coming to the Puget Sound region

Diesel engines used in and around our region’s ports – powering ships, tugs, trains, trucks, supporting ground equipment, etc. – are believed to be significant generators of fine particle and toxic emissions, which is a growing concern for public health. Through our Diesel Solutions program < www.dieselsolutions.org >, the Clean Air Agency works with partners in the maritime industry to identify ways to reduce diesel pollution.

In concert with these efforts, this spring the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, along with the Port of Seattle, Port of Tacoma and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is hosting a “Faster Freight -- Cleaner Air” (FFCA) conference for the Puget Sound region.

Focusing on goods movement and freight mobility issues, “FFCA Puget Sound” will address the growing demands for rail and trucking associated with port growth by focusing on regional infrastructure needs. The one-day summit will also highlight the innovative programs, policies and technologies now being implemented in our region and provide a venue for ports in the Pacific Northwest to interact with technology providers, elected officials, environmental organizations and the community to develop together plans to improve efficiency and reduce the air quality impacts of the goods movement industry.

“Faster Freight – Cleaner Air Puget Sound” will take place on May 16th, 2007 at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center in Seattle.  More information on the event and how to register is available online at www.ffcapugetsound.com .

 

Monthly air quality data summary: November*

At least our air quality benefited from November’s stormy weather.  For the month, there were 19 days with air quality categorized as “Good,” 11 days in the “Moderate” category, and none in the “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” or “Unhealthy” categories.

But “stormy” doesn’t even begin to describe November’s record-breaking month.  After a mild start to the month, we suffered through torrential rains and damaging floods, strong winds causing extensive property damage, and all followed by thunder, lightening, snow and bitter cold.  November was the wettest month on record for Seattle with 15.63 inches of rain at SeaTac Airport and only one day with no measurable precipitation.  Temperatures for the month averaged one degree below normal with a high temperature of 60 degrees on both the 3rd and the 6th and a low of 18 degrees on the 28th and 29th.

For data summaries of air quality monitored throughout our four-county region, click to www.pscleanair.org/airq/aqsumm/06-11.aspx .

* Because of the time it takes to review data for quality assurance and process data for reports, our air quality discussions in each “Newsline” edition will be two months previous.  Thus, our report for this edition is for November 2006.

 

 

Announcements

The Clean Air Agency’s Board of Directors will conduct a public hearing on February 22, 2007 at 9:15 a.m. to consider changes to Section 9.16 of Regulation I (spray-coating operations). To view the proposed changes, visit www.pscleanair.org/announce/hearings/PDFs/proposed_changes.pdf (PDF 0.1MB).

 

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 .

 

About the Clean Air Newsline

Clean Air Newsline is a monthly electronic newsletter to provide air quality information to the residents of King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties. Subscribers receive the latest on air quality news, trends and projects that affect our local communities and the air we breathe. Feel free to pass the information along to others.

We also use the Newsline as needed to send timely and important messages about burn bans, Smog Watches and early calls to action when air quality deteriorates.

If you would like to subscribe, you can do so at http://www.pscleanair.org/news/agencynews.aspx . Be sure to select Clean Air Newsline to be added to the e-mailing list.