To join on your computer or mobile app (Zoom):
https://lni-wa-gov.zoom.us/j/81996990236?pwd=uA7VoXaaTEJfbh8q94ltcMgTtVefHD.1

To join by phone (audio only):
253-205-0468 or 253-215-8782
Hearing ID: 819 9699 0236
Passcode: 1280939316

A pre-hearing overview will begin at 10:30 a.m. The hearing will start at 11:00 a.m. and will continue until all oral comments are received

L&I encourages the submittal of written comments, due by 5:00 p.m. on December 11, 2024.

The purpose of this rulemaking is to update the Air Quality Index (AQI) values referenced in the wildfire smoke rules to reflect changes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made to the AQI that became effective on May 6, 2024. Employers are allowed to use the approximate corresponding AQI values for the ease of compliance with the requirements in the rules. This ensures that the regulated community will be able to comply with the rule requirements when using data sources that do not display the hourly PM2.5 concentrations. In 2023, L&I completed rulemaking on the hazards of wildfire smoke exposure to outdoor workers. The primary pollutant in wildfire smoke is harmful fine particles, referred to as PM2.5. The wildfire smoke rules require employers to implement protective measures based on the current concentration of PM2.5 measured in micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3). The AQI is a unitless index created by the EPA to communicate air quality conditions to the public. While the rules are based on hourly average PM2.5 concentrations, they reference the corresponding AQI for workers and employers who choose to use the AQI to determine the amount of smoke in the air. The proposed language was originally filed under the expedited (CR-105) rulemaking process (WSR 24-11-143) on May 21 2024. L&I received a timely objection to that expedited rulemaking filing requiring L&I to file a CR-102 and engage in the standard rulemaking process under the Administrative Procedures Act.