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December 8, 2010
New information about Ecology's rule-making suspension is available. Go to the Rule-Making Suspension Update page to learn more.
The Department of Ecology is authorized by state law, RCW 90.48.465 - Water Pollution Control, to adopt rules to fund the operation of the Water Quality Wastewater and Stormwater Discharge Permit Programs.
As a result of this law, Ecology adopted by rule WAC 173-224 - Wastewater Discharge Permit Fees, which contains a fee schedule for collecting Ecology’s expenses for issuing and administering wastewater and stormwater discharge permits. Fee-eligible activities include:
Permit fees are paid by holders of federal and state wastewater and stormwater discharge permits issued by Ecology. Wastewater discharge permit holders include large and small industries such as pulp mills, fish hatcheries, fruit packing operations, and food processing facilities. Domestic wastewater treatment plants operated by government jurisdictions are also required to have wastewater discharge permits. Currently, there are approximately 6,000 +/- wastewater and/or stormwater permits that have been issued by Ecology in the State of Washington.
Funding for the permit program was initially paid for by citizens through state general revenues appropriated by the Washington State Legislature and federal grants. In 1988, voters passed Initiative 97 (now codified as RCW 90.48.465) requiring holders of wastewater discharge permits to pay annual fees for discharging into waters of the state. Fees paid by holders of wastewater and stormwater discharge permits are deposited into a dedicated account. The Legislature authorizes Ecology to spend fee monies from that account on fee-eligible activities.
When the program began in 1988, Ecology recovered approximately $3.6 million dollars a biennium from approximately 900 fee payers. For the 2010-2011 biennium (July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2011), Ecology recovered $36.7 million in revenue from approximately 5,637 fee payers.
The Ecology Permit Fee Unit has the responsibility of assessing permit fees for all permit holders. Billing information is entered into the Billing and Revenue Tracking System (BARTS) which creates invoices that are mailed out twice per year for most permit holders with the exception of construction stormwater general permit holders, any permit holder whose annual fee is greater than $500 is billed twice per year. The first billing occurs in the July/August timeframe or upon permit issuance. The second billing occurs during the February/March timeframe statement.
The Washington State Legislature establishes the budget amount Ecology needs to recover through permit fees. This action occurs every two years when the state budget is passed (every odd year). Because of this (WAC 173-224) Wastewater Discharge Permit Fees must be amended to allow for recovery of the costs Ecology will incur operating the permit program at the budgeted level established by the Legislature. Ecology last amended the fee regulation in September 2009. Ecology is amending the rule for FY2012/FY2013. The process started on April 11, 2011.
State law, RCW 90.48.465(4) - Water Pollution Control, requires Ecology to consider the impact of fees on small business and provide appropriate adjustment. Ecology responds to this mandate by granting Small Business/Extreme Hardship Fee Reductions on a yearly basis.
The Permit Fee Unit also tracks delinquent fee accounts and refers them for collection when appropriate. In cases where payment continues to remain delinquent after the account is at collection for a year, actions are then taken by Ecology that will formally revoke the permit for nonpayment of fees.
Fees are based on the state’s fiscal year that begins July 1 and ends on June 30. Permit fees stop when a permit termination has been granted by Ecology or when the permit coverage expires.
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Bev Poston, Fee Program Administrator Financial Management Section Water Quality Program 360.407.6425 bpos461@ecy.wa.gov |
Processes delinquent accounts. Assigns fee categories to permits. Responds to permit fee appeals. Amends permit fee regulation. Prepare permit fee legislative report. |
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Shirley Rollins Financial Management Section Water Quality Program 360.407.7330 SROL461@ecy.wa.gov |
Processes small business and extreme hardship fee reduction requests. Contact person for industrial & municipal wastewater permit fee questions. |
Mailing Address:
PO Box 47600
Olympia, WA 98504-7600
Toll Free Phone Number:
1.800.633.6193 (press 2)
Fax Number:
360.407.7151
Ecology mails invoices directly to permit holders. Wastewater & industrial stormwater permit holders whose annual fee is greater than $500 are given the option of paying the fee amount in full or requesting to have the annual fee split into two equal payments. If the fee is less than $500.00, the full amount is billed at the beginning of the state fiscal year (July/August). Construction stormwater permit holders are billed annually.
Permits issued during the fiscal year will be mailed a fee invoice within a few weeks of permit issuance.
Ecology normally begins mailing out invoices to permit holders in July. However, during the year the fee rule is being amended, this schedule is subject to change.
Ecology has begun the fee rule amendment process. For Fiscal Year 2012, a tentative Rule Development Plan has been prepared that describes the process Ecology will use to amend the fee rule.
This rule amendment will cover FY2012 and FY2013 (July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2013). This proposal is tentative because Ecology has not received its budget allowing the fee increases. However, if the legislature approves the fee increases, Ecology needs to begin amending the fee rule immediately. To start the process, the CR101 was filed announcing Ecology's intent to amend the fee rule. If the fee increases are not approved by the legislature then the existing fee rule will remain in place and no further action will be taken.
Activity |
Date |
| File CR101 with Code Reviser | 04/11/11 |
| File CR102 with Code Reviser | 07/19/11 |
| Public comment period begins | 07/19/11 |
| Public hearing | 08/24/11 |
| Public comment period closes | 09/01/11 |
| Rule adopted | 09/20/11 |
| Rule effective | 10/21/11 |
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Headquarters Building 300 Desmond Drive, R3A-19 Lacey, WA |
Central Regional Office 15 W. Yakima Ave, Suite 200 Yakima, WA |
Eastern Regional Office 4601 N. Monroe St., Room 1-SW-11 Spokane, WA |
A business may apply for a small business fee reduction if it meets the following criteria:
A business may apply for an extreme hardship fee reduction if it has annual sales of one hundred thousand ($100,000) dollars or less of the goods and services produced using the processes regulated by the wastewater discharge permit.
If you have any questions, please contact Shirley Rollins at (360) 407-7330 or send email to SROL461@ecy.wa.gov.
Permit holders who do not pay the assessed permit fee by the billing due date are considered delinquent. Delinquent permit holders are notified directly by Ecology that if payment is not received upon a specified date, the account will be referred for collection. In addition, a surcharge of 20 percent of the amount owed is added to the delinquent amount to cover the cost of the collection action. If payment is not received by the collection agency, Ecology can take formal enforcement action against the permit holder, including but not limited to termination of the permit, for nonpayment of fees.
Permit fees stop when the permit has been officially terminated by Ecology or when permit coverage expires. Permit holders need to contact Ecology’s Regional Office as soon as a permitted activity ceases. Permit fees will continue until the permit has been canceled regardless of when the permitted activity stops.
Water Quality Coordinators in each of Ecology’s regional offices are the primary contacts for information about specific permits.
| Northwest Regional Office | Central Regional Office |
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Tricia Miller (425) 649-7181 tmil461@ecy.wa.gov King, Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, San Juan, Kitsap and Island |
Cynthia Huwe (509) 457-7105 chuw461@ecy.wa.gov Yakima, Benton, Klickitat, Chelan, Douglas, Kittitas, and Okanogan |
| Southwest Regional Office | Eastern Regional Office |
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Municipal/General Permits Industrial Permits Carey Cholski Sherri Greenup (360) 407-6279 (360) 407-6280 cgru461@ecy.wa.gov swal461@ecy.wa.gov Thurston, Clallam, Jefferson, Mason, Grays Harbor, Pierce, Lewis, Skamania, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Clark, and Pacific |
Shara Trantum (509) 329-3455 stra461@ecy.wa.gov Spokane, Grant, Adams, Whitman, Franklin, Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille, and Lincoln |
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Shawn Hopkins 360.407.6437 shop461@ecy.wa.gov |
Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Skagit, Snohomish, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Whitman |
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Josh Klimek 360.407.7451 jokl461@ecy.wa.gov |
Kitsap, Pierce, City of Seattle, Thurston |
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Clay Keown 360.407.6048 ckeo461@ecy.wa.gov |
Island, King (exclude City of Seattle), San Juan |
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Joyce Smith 360.407.6858 josm461@ecy.wa.gov |
Benton, Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Douglas, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Skamania, Wahkiakum, Yakima |
If you have problems with this Web page, please contact Shirley Rollins.
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
