Olympic Region Clean Air Agency

Olympic Region Clean Air Agency The Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) enforces local, state and federal clean air laws in the 6 counties of Washington's Olympic Peninsula Region

The Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) is a local government agency charged with regulatory and enforcement authority for air quality issues in Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston counties. ORCAA is one of seven such regional air pollution control agencies in Washington state. Established in 1968 after passage of the Washington Clean Air (RCW 70.94), the agency is responsible for enforcing federal, state and local air pollution standards and governing air pollutant emissions from new and existing sources. A nine-member Board of Directors establishes the policies and oversees the operations of the agency. The Board comprises a representative from each of the six counties in ORCAA’s jurisdiction, plus representatives of the three largest cities in the territory; Lacey, Olympia and Port Angeles. Board meetings are open to the public and held at 10 a.m. on the second Wednesday of each month at the agency office in Olympia. The Board is responsible for selecting an Executive Director, who serves as the administrative manager of the agency’s professional staff. The Executive Director also enforces the orders, ordinances, resolutions and regulations of the agency. Jurisdiction
ORCAA serves Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston Counties in Washington state.

ORCAA's air monitoring operator visited the Port Townsend air monitor on Tuesday. It was a beautiful day up north; howev...
09/28/2026

ORCAA's air monitoring operator visited the Port Townsend air monitor on Tuesday. It was a beautiful day up north; however, you don't want to see a gas regulator reading zero pressure at a site when you didn't bring an extra gas cylinder. We use the gas to test the function of the monitor. Luckily, there was just enough gas left in the lines to complete the day's mission. We'll return in the next few weeks to replace the span gas and the screen on our inlet. A small spider can, and eventually will, crawl into that tiny hole, spin webs inside the monitor, and cause everyone to think all of Port Townsend is on fire.

ORCAA staff got a lot of work done last week. We turned on the air monitors at Cheeka Peak, and the site is almost fully...
09/21/2026

ORCAA staff got a lot of work done last week. We turned on the air monitors at Cheeka Peak, and the site is almost fully operational. Monthly quality checks were completed at air monitoring sites in Raymond and Lacey. The Alicat flow, temperature, and pressure standard is still out for repairs, so we had to go old school and use a Gilibrator to check the flows. A Gilibrator calculates flow based on the speed at which a soap bubble moves through a column. Yep. A soap bubble. It is surprisingly accurate.

After nearly 2 years of intermittent operation (including a temporary relocation to a nearby mountain), ORCAA’s Cheeka P...
09/14/2026

After nearly 2 years of intermittent operation (including a temporary relocation to a nearby mountain), ORCAA’s Cheeka Peak Observatory (CPO) air monitoring site is nearly back in service.

The two trailers housing ORCAA’s monitoring equipment have been returned to the Cheeka Peak site. We’ve also installed a new electrical transformer, power meter, and service panel. The Clallam PUD will soon be on site to reconnect the electrical service. Once power is restored, ORCAA staff can put the CPO site back in full operation.

09/14/2026

View from atop ORCAA's Cheeka Peak Observatory (CPO) air monitoring station.

Thanks to the folks from Washington Department of Ecology who joined us at the James P. Werner Air Monitoring Station la...
09/09/2026

Thanks to the folks from Washington Department of Ecology who joined us at the James P. Werner Air Monitoring Station last month during Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland's vist!

Get a new home-heating heat pump using rebates/awardsIn addition to ORCAA’s Wood Stove Replacement Program, homeowners i...
09/08/2026

Get a new home-heating heat pump using rebates/awards

In addition to ORCAA’s Wood Stove Replacement Program, homeowners in Thurston County can save up to $4,000 on a new heat pump system through Energize Thurston.

ORCAA’s program awards $2,200 for the removal of an old uncertified wood stove and the installation of a new heat pump (ducted or ductless). https://www.orcaa.org/burning/indoor-wood-heating/wood-smoke-reduction-program/

That award can be bundled with an Energize Thurston program. Energize Thurston offers Thurston County residents access to exclusive discounts and financial incentives for energy-efficient heat pumps and heat pump water heaters.

Households in Thurston County who work with a program-certified installer can save over $4,000 on qualified heat pump equipment. Additionally, Energize Thurston offers a limited number of fully or partially subsidized heat pump and heat pump water heater installations for income-qualified households through the Energize Thurston Grant Program, opening in October.

Energize Thurston is implemented through a partnership between the cities of Olympia, Lacey, and Tumwater, Thurston County, and South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity.

Visit the Energize Thurston webpage to learn more about the program.


https://thurstonclimatecollaborative.org/regional-initiatives/energize-thurston/

This Wood Stove Recycling Incentive is available for residents of all six counties within ORCAA’s jurisdiction: Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston Counties.

ORCAA hosted a member of the U.S. House of Representatives last week!
08/31/2026

ORCAA hosted a member of the U.S. House of Representatives last week!


The Olympic Region Clean Air Agency enforces clean air laws in Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston Counties.

We're  Back! ORCAA's Ncore site hosted by the Makah Tribe has been relocated back to its original home atop Cheeka Peak ...
08/24/2026

We're Back! ORCAA's Ncore site hosted by the Makah Tribe has been relocated back to its original home atop Cheeka Peak after electric service was restored to the site. Final hook-up and relaunch is planned for mid-September.

Last week, Ecology staff joined us at the James P. Werner Air Monitoring Station in Lacey to perform annual maintenance ...
08/17/2026

Last week, Ecology staff joined us at the James P. Werner Air Monitoring Station in Lacey to perform annual maintenance on the PM2.5 BAM (Beta Attenuation Monitor). It was a beautiful and productive day all around.

Good morning and happy Monitoring Monday. Last week, smoke from eastern Washington and British Columbia drifted into wes...
08/10/2026

Good morning and happy Monitoring Monday.

Last week, smoke from eastern Washington and British Columbia drifted into western Washington for several days and turned PM2.5 (particulate) air monitors and sensors across the region orange (unhealthy for sensitive groups) and red (unhealthy). Luckily for us, it only lasted a few days. Along with atmospheric particulate matter, the smoke also brought pollutants that increased ambient ozone concentrations in the area.

Ozone formation occurs when heat, sunlight (UV index), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) are high and winds are low. Assuming NO2 and VOC emissions are similar from day-to-day, ozone prediction models primarily rely on the weather forecast. The following plot compares August 6th and August 7th. Wind speed was very low on both days. Ambient temperature on the 6th was higher than on the 7th, but not enough to explain the drastic difference in ozone concentration observed on these two days.

The primary difference? A significant amount of smoke remained in our region on the 6th, amplifying ozone formation far above what we usually see here.


https://science.nasa.gov/earth/nasa-funded-study-shows-wildfire-smokes-hidden-ozone-toll/

Address

2940 Limited Lane NW
Olympia, WA
98502

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+13605397610

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