H-4476              _______________________________________________

                                          SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL NO. 1787

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1986 Regular Session

By House Committee on Environmental Affairs (originally sponsored by Representatives Unsoeld, Allen, Rust, Miller, Hine, Brough, May and Nutley)

Read first time 2/7/86 and passed to Committee on Rules.

AN ACT Relating to industrial wastewater treatment standards; amending RCW 90.48.470; adding a new section to chapter 90.48 RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

        Sec. 1.  Section 1, chapter 249, Laws of 1985 and RCW 90.48.470 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1) In order to protect water quality, and to ensure that wastes receive all known, available and reasonable methods of treatment, the department of ecology((, in cooperation with the Puget Sound water quality authority,)) shall review existing standards for ((pretreatment)) treatment of industrial wastewater that is directly or indirectly discharged into ((sewage treatment facilities that discharge into Puget Sound.  Standards for treatment by industrial facilities that discharge directly into Puget Sound or into waters that flow into Puget Sound shall also be reviewed)) waters of the state.  Priority shall be given to the review of standards for pollutants of special concern to sensitive environments.

          (2) ((The department of ecology shall report its progress to the legislature by January 1, 1986.  The report shall address whether standards require revision to reflect all known, available, and reasonable methods of treatment.)) The department of ecology shall identify categories of direct and indirect industrial discharges into waters of the state for which standards have not been developed.  Standards shall be developed in order of priority.

(3) If a standard reviewed or developed in accordance with this section is determined to be inadequate to protect the water quality of a specific environment, monitoring requirements and more stringent discharge limits shall be incorporated into permits issued pursuant to RCW 90.48.160, 90.48.162 and 90.48.260.

(4) The department shall coordinate with the Puget Sound water quality authority in developing or reviewing any standard that affects Puget Sound.

(5) The department shall report its ((conclusions)) progress to the legislature by January 1, 1987, including an analysis of the fiscal impacts on the department.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 90.48 RCW to read as follows:

          To the greatest extent practical, the department of ecology shall conduct unannounced inspections of both permitted and suspected dischargers.  At the end of each calendar year the department shall provide the appropriate standing committees of the legislature with the total number of inspections conducted in accordance with this chapter and the number that were conducted unannounced.  During inspections of fish hatcheries, department personnel shall allow vehicles, clothing and equipment to be disinfected.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     (1) The department of ecology shall conduct a study to investigate methods of providing incentives for industrial and municipal dischargers to lessen the quantity, toxicity, and concentration of waste pollutants discharged into state ground and surface waters.  The department of ecology shall form a study team consisting of representatives from affected businesses, local, state, and federal government, the aquaculture industry, and public interest groups.  The team shall report on:

          (a) Programs in other states and countries designed to lessen discharges of pollutants to ground and surface waters including: (i) Impact on state financial resources, (ii) overall water pollution reduction effectiveness, and (iii) economic impact on dischargers; and

          (b) Feasible options for implementing a program in this state, including:  (i) Cost of implementation, (ii) relative benefits to dischargers, (iii) overall economic impact on the state, and (iv) projected water pollution reduction.

          (2) The department of ecology shall report to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature on the findings of this study by December 1, 1987.