EPA Approves Delegation of Air Pollution Enforcement Authority to Southwest Clean Air Agency in Washington State

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has formally approved a delegation of authority to the Southwest Clean Air Agency (SWCAA), a regional air quality agency in Washington State, to implement and enforce federal emission standards for four specific categories of incineration facilities: hospital/medical/infectious waste incineration units, commercial and industrial solid waste incineration units, small municipal solid waste combustion units, and sewage sludge incineration units. The delegation is formalized through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed on March 27–28, 2023, between EPA Region 10's Regional Administrator and SWCAA's Executive Director. The MOA took effect immediately upon signature and covers the Washington counties of Clark, Cowlitz, Lewis, Skamania, and Wahkiakum, excluding Indian country within those boundaries. This action transfers day-to-day responsibility for enforcing federal Clean Air Act (CAA) emission limits and control requirements for designated air pollutants from the EPA to SWCAA within the specified geographic area. The EPA retains oversight authority but SWCAA becomes the primary enforcement body at the local level. The rule amends existing regulatory text to reflect this delegation and informs the public of the signed MOA, making the agreement part of the official regulatory record under the Clean Air Act.

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