SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 6430

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

As of February 11, 2020

Title: An act relating to establishing a statewide industrial waste coordination program.

Brief Description: Establishing a statewide industrial waste coordination program.

Sponsors: Senators Brown, Rolfes, Frockt, Warnick, Das and Hasegawa.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Environment, Energy & Technology: 1/22/20, 1/30/20 [DP-WM].

Ways & Means: 2/10/20.

Brief Summary of Bill

  • Establishes an industrial waste coordination program to provide expertise, technical assistance, and best practices to support local industrial symbiosis projects.

  • Establishes a competitive industrial symbiosis grant program to provide grants for the research, development, and deployment of local waste coordination projects.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY & TECHNOLOGY

Majority Report: Do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

Signed by Senators Carlyle, Chair; Lovelett, Vice Chair; Ericksen, Ranking Member; Fortunato, Assistant Ranking Member, Environment; Sheldon, Assistant Ranking Member, Energy & Technology; Brown, Das, Hobbs, Liias, McCoy, Nguyen, Rivers, Short, Stanford and Wellman.

Staff: Greg Vogel (786-7413)

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS

Staff: Corban Nemeth (786-7736)

Background: Industrial symbiosis is the use by one company or sector of waste resources broadly defined—including waste, by-products, residues, energy, water, logistics, capacity, expertise, equipment and materials—from another. Examples of industrial symbiosis include Kalundborg, Denmark's eco-industrial park, a National Industrial Symbiosis Program (NISP) pilot project in the Vancouver and Edmonton areas in Canada, the original NISP in the United Kingdom, and various adaptations of the NISP model deployed in more than 30 countries globally.

In the 2019-21 biennial operating budget, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) was directed to produce a proposal and recommendations for setting up an industrial waste coordination program by December 1, 2019. The report presents six key recommendations for a proposed Washington program:

Summary of Bill: An industrial waste coordination program is established to provide expertise, technical assistance, and best practices to support local industrial symbiosis projects. The program is to be administered by Commerce and administered regionally, with each region provided a dedicated facilitator and technical and administrative support. The program must facilitate waste exchange by:

No entity is required to disclose material flow data. In generating the material flow data collection system, Commerce may only use publicly available date or data voluntarily provided by program participants. Commerce must keep any proprietary business information confidential and such information is exempt from public disclosure.

Subject to appropriation, a competitive industrial symbiosis grant program is established to provide grants for the research, development, and deployment of local waste coordination projects. Grants may go towards several project types, including:

Commerce must develop a method and criteria for allocating of grants subject to the following:

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed. Includes a null and void clause.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony (Environment, Energy & Technology): PRO: Reduce, reuse, recycle—it is all in the bill. We are all accustomed to advocates of industry and the environment being at odds, but this Danish concept brings those two groups together. For the last three years, we have led study tours, showing the tremendous economic and environmental benefits of these systems. We see tremendous opportunities for application in communities of all shapes and sizes throughout the state. The bill could be improved by considering net environmental benefit, vulnerable populations, and supporting existing green businesses.

Persons Testifying (Environment, Energy & Technology): PRO: Rhys Roth, Center for Sustainable Infrastructure; Heather Trim, Zero Waste Washington; Greg Rock, Carbon Washington.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying (Environment, Energy & Technology): No one.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony (Ways & Means): PRO: This bill represents the Denmark approach to industrial symbiosis, and is a common sense bill. All smokestacks and sewage water represent an opportunity for reuse, but somebody needs to be dedicated to make industrial coordination happen. This proposal is scalable based on funding.

Persons Testifying (Ways & Means): PRO: Heather Trim, Zero Waste Washington.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying (Ways & Means): No one.