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2012 Legislative informationMore InformationEach year, the Department of Ecology (Ecology) works with the Governor and the Legislature to identify legislative actions that are needed to help Ecology carry out its responsibilities in protecting and sustaining Washington’s environment, including preventing and cleaning up pollution. Clean air, clean water and livable land are vital to quality of life in the Northwest. These also support economic vitality, as one-third of Washington State’s economy is directly supported by natural resources activities. Ecology is proposing 6 pieces of legislation for consideration by the 2012 Legislature. Industrial Stormwater (fecal coliform)The Department of Ecology proposes to change RCW 90.48.555 to
remove the requirement for industrial stormwater discharges to
bacteria-impaired water bodies to comply with numeric effluent
limits. More information:
Shoreline Master Program Appeals ProcessThe state Shoreline Management Act requires cities and counties to adopt and regularly update locally-tailored “shoreline master programs.” These documents guide future shoreline use and development. Ecology takes final action on each shoreline master program. However, sections of the Shoreline Management Act that govern the appeals procedure for shoreline master program decisions to the state Growth Management Hearings Board and Shoreline Hearings Board are unclear and confusing. It is important to address this problem because there is a major effort under way to update more than 260 local shoreline master programs across the state. Ecology has so far adopted more than 35 updated shoreline programs; three are under appeal. Ecology believes the Shoreline Management Act should be amended to provide more clarity regarding the shoreline master program appeals process. More information:
State Revolving FundThe Department of Ecology (Ecology) faces a deficit in the next few years in the administrative fund it uses to manage the Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund (Revolving Fund) loan program. This poses a risk to Ecology’s ability to effectively manage the Revolving Fund loan program, which passes along essential financing to local governments for infrastructure projects that protect clean water in the state. If passed, this legislation would give Ecology statutory authority to charge loan administration fees that pay for the costs to administer the Revolving Fund loan program. This approach protects Washington against the anticipated deficit in federal funds and maintains a key loan program that protects clean water in Washington. More information:
Transferring Site Use Permits Program (joint legislation with Department of Health)The Department of Health and the Department of Ecology are proposing legislation to transfer authority for the low-level radioactive waste Site Use Permit Program from Department of Ecology to Department of Health. More information:
Voluntary Regional AgreementsIn 2006, the Legislature created a pilot program for streamlining the application process for new water rights, while benefiting both instream and out-of-stream uses, called Voluntary Regional Agreements (VRA). That legislation included a sunset provision of June 30, 2012. The proposed legislation would amend the sunset provision in the VRA statute (RCW 90.90.030) by extending it by six years to 2018.
Woodstove FeeThe Department of Ecology proposes an additional $15 fee on the sale of new wood stoves, pellet stoves, and other types of solid fuel burning devices. This will increase the state’s fees on the sale of each wood-burning appliance from $30 to $45. It will replace money that currently comes from the state General Fund to support Ecology’s wood stove education and compliance program. More information:
Contacts:
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