Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 2007 NO. 2 >

Where an air pollution control authority is coterminous with a county, and portions of the county are within an Indian reservation, and the EPA directly sets air quality standards within the reservation pursuant to federal law, cities and towns lying within the reservation are still fully subject to property taxation and statutory assessments for the expenses of the air pollution control authority.

AGO 1957 NO. 118 >

1. Chapter 232, Laws of 1957, chapter 70.94 RCW, requires that an entire county be included within an air pollution control district but does not require that two or more cities, exclusive of any unincorporated county area, be contiguous. 2. Chapter 232, Laws of 1957, chapter 70.94 RCW, requires each city, town or county to conduct tests and surveys prior to the enactment of air pollution control measures for the formation of an air pollution control district. 3. Chapter 70.94 RCW, chapter 232, Laws of 1957, does not require that each component city, town or county of an air pollution control district separately enact air pollution control measures but does provide that the district as a governmental unit may promulgate rules and regulations for this purpose. 4. It is not necessary that a city, town or county follow the procedure established in chapter 232, Laws of 1957, chapter 70.94 RCW, in order to enact or enforce air pollution control measures. 5. Amendment 17 to the Washington State Constitution requires that any tax by a city, town, county or district in excess of the 40-mill limitation must be [[Orig. Op. Page 2]]submitted to the electorate each year that such governmental unit seeks to levy the additional tax.