Washington Administrative Code
Title 173 - Ecology, Department of (See also Titles 197, 317, 372, and 508)
Chapter 173-435 - Emergency episode plan
Section 173-435-030 - Episode stage criteria

(1) Stage: "First or forecast" - the forecast stage indicates the presence of meteorological conditions conducive to the accumulation of air contaminants. A forecast stage may be declared when an air stagnation advisory is issued by the national weather service or there is equivalent indication of stagnant atmospheric conditions and conditions are forecast to persist for 24 hours. Declaration of this stage will activate increased air quality surveillance.

(2) Stage: "Second or alert" - the alert stage is that concentration of pollutants at which control actions are to begin. An alert will be declared when any one of the following levels is reached:

(3) Stage: "Third or warning" - the warning stage indicates that air quality is continuing to degrade and that additional control actions are necessary. A warning will be declared when any one of the following levels is reached:

(4) Stage: "Fourth or emergency" - the emergency stage indicates that air quality is continuing to degrade toward a level of significant harm to the health of persons and that the most stringent control actions are necessary. An emergency will be declared when any one of the following levels is reached at any monitoring site:

(5) Stage: "Termination" - once declared, any stage reached by applying these criteria will remain in effect until the criteria for that level are no longer met. At that time, the next lower stage will be declared. When conditions improve to where the criteria are no longer met for any episode stage, the episode will be terminated.