Ecology withdraws proposed carbon cap rule, plans changes

SEATTLE – State environmental regulators have withdrawn a proposed rule aimed at limiting carbon emissions, saying they plan to refile another version with substantial changes.

The Department of Ecology’s Sarah Rees said Friday that the basic concepts would remain, including capping carbon pollution for large industries in the state.

But she says the department heard feedback from numerous groups and businesses and felt it needed more time to make changes.

The draft rule issued last month would have required Washington’s largest industrial emitters to reduce carbon emissions by 5 percent every three years. It initially would have applied to about manufacturing plants, refineries, power plants, natural gas distributors and others that release at least 100,000 metric tons of carbon a year.

The rules have been controversial. In Eastern Washington, targeted polluters included Avista Corp.’s natural gas distribution business, Kaiser Aluminum’s Trentwood plant and the city of Spokane’s waste-to-energy facility.

Rees says they expect to file a new draft rule in a couple of months and finalize it by late summer.