Publication Summary

The Department of Ecology′s Water Quality Program is amending Chapter 173-98 WAC, "Uses and Limitations of The Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund." The current language was written and adopted in September, 1989 to implement Chapter 90.50A RCW.

The Department of Ecology′s Water Quality Program is amending Chapter 173-98 WAC, "Uses and Limitations of The Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund." The current language was written and adopted in September, 1989 to implement Chapter 90.50A RCW.

The Washington Department of Ecology administers the Washington State Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund (SRF). This program provides low-interest loans to local governments for water quality protection and improvement. The SRF was established by Congress in 1987 as a means to phase out the federal construction grant program for wastewater treatment facilities. In response to the new federal program the Washington State Legislature created the SRF program in 1988 and it was codified as Chapter 90.50A RCW, Water Pollution Control Facilities - Federal Capitalization Grants on February 4, 1988. The RCW, in part, required Ecology to establish a rule to implement the SRF program.

Ecology staff began preparing the SRF rule in late 1988 and it became effective on September 29, 1989 as Chapter 173-98 WAC (Uses and Limitations of the Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund). The SRF rule has worked reasonably well but it needs to be updated in order to improve Ecology′s flexibility in providing effective and efficient financial assistance to local governments.

Ecology is inserting new sections into the WAC, deleting certain sections of the WAC, and modifying others. Many of these changes are part of an ongoing effort to achieve a level of consistency between the SRF and the Centennial Clean Water Fund. Others are housekeeping and clarifications of the existing rule.

This explanatory statement describes the rule amendment process and the changes, responds to comments made during the public comment phase, and the outlines the implementation plan. Questions concerning the subject matter discussed here should be directed to Brian Howard at (360)407-6510 or Tim Hilliard at (360)407-6429.