Sustainment Areas

Audience interest: County and City Officials in Lakeview

Stakeholder: environmental groups, general public, media, economic development interests

Last date revised: July 11, 2013

OVERVIEW: We have heard the County’s and Town’s concern about Economic Development in Lakeview and have developed a draft set of statewide rules with Lakeview in mind. We think this will allow intermediate sized industry to locate in Lakeview, but also targets the main source of pollution (wood stoves) to work toward solving the air quality problems in Lakeview.

Key Message 1 - Problem

Lakeview “exceeds daily Ambient Standards” in most years and it prevents intermediate and large sized companies with PM2.5 emissions from establishing themselves in Lakeview. There is a need for options.

Key Message 2 - Solution

Sustainment area designation should make it possible for intermediate sized companies to locate in Lakeview. At the same time, these companies should help improve air quality.

Key Message 3 – Cautions and Opportunities

A sustainment area is not a panacea. It provides a way for intermediate sized companies to establish or expand their operations while helping solve the real air quality problems. It will still be difficult for large companies to get permitted.

The exceedances prevent companies from establishing in Lakeview because they cannot meet the air quality analysis criteria.

Intermediate sized companies locating in Lakeview must either pass a stringent air quality analysis, OR install pollution control equipment and obtain emission offsets, either from other industrial sites or from woodstoves.

By using key message 2 a company has an option to build in Lakeview although it still may be difficult

Air quality analysis criteria require new emissions plus background to meet AQ standard. If the background is already over the standard, the company cannot be permitted.

The rules will allow companies to obtain emission offsets and fewer offsets would be required if they get some or all offsets from woodstoves.

Sustainment area designation will not solve the nonattainment potential in Lakeview; it is just one tool.

Under current rules, industrial emissions are assumed to only contribute to the air quality problem; they do not help solve the air quality problem.

Companies with large emissions will still have difficulty getting permits, but most companies interested in coming to Lakeview are probably in the small to intermediate size range. There are no requirements for small companies, both now and under a sustainment area.

Opportunity: It allows industrial growth and targets the main source of pollution (woodstove) in Lakeview, rather than banning construction.