Air
Spokane air quality is regulated by the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency. The Clean Air Agency’s work is overseen by a Board of appointed & elected officials. The City of Spokane’s appointed board representative is Dr. Jeff Corkill, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Eastern Washington University and the University of Washington School of Medicine, Spokane.
Air Quality Attainment/Maintenance Plans
Spokane’s air quality is currently in compliance with Federal & State standards. In the 1990’s the City was under attainment plans for carbon monoxide (CO) and for particulates (pm-10). Fine particulates (pm-2.5), ozone, and toxics are regulated pollutants currently of some concern.
- Spokane CO Maintenance Plan 9-29-04
- PM-10 Management Plan- Draft
- PM-2.5 Chart 2005
- Ozone Trend Chart Through December 2011
Permitted City Facilities
The below listed City facilities are registered with and have permits from the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency.
Air Operating Permits:
Northside Landfill W. 5502 Nine Mile Road
The City’s closed landfills generate landfill gas, primarily methane, carbon dioxide, and water. The landfill gases are extracted and the volatile organics burned in flares. The Northside Landfill has a relatively small active, bottom-lined cell which is still accepting waste, and a modern, lined waste containment cell which was constructed as the old landfill was closed and is currently in active use. It primarily serves to take wastes which are not appropriate for, or otherwise not able to go to the Waste-to-Energy Facility.
The Northside Landfill is a Superfund site which has undergone remediation. The capping of the landfill and construction of the gas collection and flaring system were components of the site remediation. Besides landfill gas concerns, the other Superfund concerns at this site revolved around heavy metals and primarily the presence of 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethene in groundwater escaping from the site. For more informaiton visit the EPA Region 10 website.
Waste-to-Energy Facility 2900 S. Geiger Blvd.
The regional Waste-to-Energy facility began operating in 1992 with state-of-the-art air pollution controls. The facility accepts waste primarily from Spokane County. The waste is converted to water, carbon dioxide, ash, recyclable metals and electricity.
- WTE BASIS-renewal-1
- WTE PERMIT REVISION – BASIS Nov 17 2008
- WTE PERMIT-renewal(final)
- WTE RENEWAL 1 – REVISION 17 Nov 2008
In 2001 a Human Health Risk Assessment was completed which was based on the measured stack emissions from the operating facility.
- Human Health Risk Assessment Nov 2001
- Technical Oversight Committee Recommendations
- Risk Model
- Risk Assessment Acceptance
Other permits
Southside Landfill 65th Ave. and S. Regal St.
The City’s closed landfill generates landfill gas, primarily methane, carbon dioxide, and water. The landfill gases are extracted and the volatile organics burned in a flare.
Riverside Park Water Reclamation Facility 4401 N. Aubrey L. White Parkway
The Riverside Park Water Reclamation Facility treats Spokane’s wastewater and other regional wastewater. The water used to move human waste to the treatment facilities helps control volatile organic emissions, never-the-less there are emissions from the wastewater facilities. The anaerobic (without oxygen) digestion process used to treat waste solids generates methane and carbon dioxide.