Mayor Ken Hays, with unanimous approval from fellow city councilors, signed another letter requesting an air monitoring station in the city from Olympic Regional Clean Air Agency.

The letter can be seen at http://wa-sequim.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/2424.

Councilors wish to know the quality of the city's air and any future impact from Nippon Paper Industries’ incoming biomass-fueled cogeneration facility in Port Angeles.

Hays said the machine could provide data now and after the facility is installed, and ORCAA could use the data for future biomass conversions and their impact.

“Such data would be invaluable to Sequim in making decisions regarding such other potential sources,” he said.

“It is unfortunate that reluctance to monitor the Sequim-area air quality may be seen by some as an admission that such monitoring would show that approval of a biomass conversion plant was ill-advised. Sequim does not hold that opinion, but Sequim wishes to reassure its citizens with factual data.”

ORCAA has not accepted nor denied the city’s request for a monitor.

Fran McNair, ORCAA executive director, told the Gazette earlier in July that there’s no timeline for a response to the city, and if a decision is made, a recommendation must be made by her for the ORCAA board to approve.

McNair said she plans to hire a new senior monitoring specialist in August or September who will first analyze all of their monitors.

Hays also sent the letter to ORCAA board members Mike Doherty, Clallam County commissioner; and Dan Di Guilio, Port Angeles City Council member.

ORCAA's board next meets at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 8, at 2940 Limited Lane NW, Olympia.