Title: An act relating to reducing the environmental health impact of cleaning in state facilities.

Brief Description: Reducing the environmental impact of cleaning state facilities.

Sponsors: House Committee on Select Committee on Environmental Health (originally sponsored by Representatives Simpson, Hudgins, Wood, Campbell, Morrell and Hasegawa).

Brief History: Passed House: 2/28/07, 96-0.

Committee Activity: Water, Energy & Telecommunications: 3/23/07, 3/27/07 [DPA, w/oRec].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WATER, ENERGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Majority Report: Do pass as amended.Signed by Senators Poulsen, Chair; Rockefeller, Vice Chair; Delvin, Fraser, Oemig and Pridemore.

Minority Report: That it be referred without recommendation.Signed by Senators Honeyford, Ranking Minority Member; Holmquist and Regala.

Staff: Jan Odano (786-7486)

Background: The Department of General Administration (GA) coordinates state agencies' purchases and sales of goods and services. The Director of the GA must establish overall state policy for determining where and when an item in the state supply system should be stocked. In addition, the Director of the GA must develop state goals for using recycled or environmentally preferable products.

The Secretary of the Department of Health (DOH) must periodically review personal health and sanitation conditions at state-owned or contracted institutions and facilities. The Department of Ecology (DOE) is established as the state agency with the authority to carry out an integrated and coordinated program of pollution prevention and control.

Summary of Engrossed Substitute Bill: All state agencies must purchase and use cleaning products having properties that minimize potential impacts to human health and the environment. GA, in consultation with the DOH and the DOE, must consider nationally recognized accrediting information and provide guidance to state agencies to:

• select and purchase products and use practices that reduce or minimize the risks of harmful human and environmental effects;
• promote adoption of cleaning practices that reduce or minimize these risks;
• recognize state agencies that adopt and implement environmentally beneficial facility and workplace management policies and practices; and
• encourage contractors supplying goods and services to state agencies to use such products.

GA must require lessors and building managers who provide leased space to state agencies to use environmentally preferred products and practices, upon renewal of a lease and for all new leases.

State agencies must purchase environmentally preferred products. Preferred products must conform to guidance for environmentally preferred purchasing of cleaning products developed by GA. State agencies must transition to preferred cleaning products within six months of the effective date of the bill in a manner that avoids waste of existing inventories, and allows for proper establishment of supplies and training.

State agencies must submit an electronic biennial report listing the amount and type of cleaning products used. For nonpreferred products, agencies must include the total number, type, amount used, and the reasons for their selection. GA must publish the biennial reports on their website, which must be available to the general public and employees.

The use of germicidals, disinfectants, and microbiological products must be used in accordance with responsible cleaning procedure requirements when there is a need to control the spread of germs, infection, and disease in areas where high levels of bacteria are present or in areas where mandated by law. These products also must be included in the agencies' biennial report.

Local governments and school districts are encouraged to review their purchasing and use of cleaning products and select those products having properties that minimize potential impacts to human health and the environment. GA must encourage local government and school purchasing of preferred products if the entity is part of the GA's purchasing cooperative.

EFFECT OF CHANGES MADE BY RECOMMENDED AMENDMENT(S) AS PASSED COMMITTEE (Water, Energy & Telecommunications): The amendment clarifies that GA must consider nationally recognized accrediting information from multiple sources and corrects a reference to antimicrobiological products.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony: CON: The requirements of this bill may have the unintended consequence of degrading public health by restricting the use of disinfectants. We don't want to unduly impact disinfectants. Disinfectants are necessary to protect against bacteria such as Salmonella and E.coli. All companies should have flexibility to certify their products are environmentally preferred. There should be multiple avenues to receive this endorsement as it can be very expensive to have one product certified.

Persons Testifying: CON: Andrew Hackman, Bill Stauffacher, Consumer Specialty Products Association.