AN ACT Relating to water quality; adding new sections to chapter 43.21A RCW; and creating new sections.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that there is a need to:

(1) Better coordinate federal, state, and local management and regulation of activities affecting water quality;

(2) More clearly define effective and complementary roles for the many agencies and entities which affect Puget Sound water quality;

(3) Better conserve aquatic habitat through integrated management planning;

(4) Develop a coordinated, sound-wide program of monitoring and research which will be consistent, thorough, nonduplicative, and useful for decision-making;

(5) Enhance fiscal and regulatory mechanisms which provide realistic incentives for improved performance;

(6) Insure the adequate enforcement of laws and regulations; and

(7) Identify goals and standards against which future actions affecting the Sound's water quality can be judged.

The legislature declares that local, state, and federal levels of government must place a high priority on Puget Sound water quality and must thereby provide the resources to ensure that existing management tools and enforcement procedures are utilized to their fullest extent.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 43.21A RCW to read as follows:

In implementing existing law, the department of ecology shall be guided by the following policy considerations:

(1) Funding and technical assistance must be provided for improved wastewater treatment throughout the Sound region to the extent possible.

(a) Solving the problem of combined sewer overflows shall proceed simultaneously with planning for secondary treatment and, where appropriate, would enter the planning and design process for all new or improved wastewater treatment facilities.

(b) Industrial pretreatment planning shall be an integral part of the transition to secondary treatment. Enforcement of pretreatment requirements shall be vigorously pursued in the short term as well.

(c) On-site sewage treatment (such as septic tank and drainfield systems) can be a viable alternative to municipal treatment in many situations. Efforts shall continue to identify sensitive areas and formulate strategies to protect them.

(2) All available avenues for controlling nonpoint source pollution shall be pursued.

The state shall provide all available assistance and incentives for local governments and special districts to integrate land use management with water quality management and to pursue effective surface water management strategies.

(3) To the fullest extent possible, the necessary support for implementing the department's shellfish protection strategy shall be provided.

(a) The department shall establish models for basin planning for land use practices to protect shellfish.

(b) As the program develops, it shall be expanded to cover all valued shellfish resources of Puget Sound and the full range of point and nonpoint threats to shellfish.

(4) Opportunities for public involvement in the effort to protect Puget Sound shall be enhanced and expanded.

(5) Public education on Puget Sound and on pollution management shall be enhanced and expanded.

A public information campaign should dovetail with a public involvement program, so that concerned citizens are made aware of opportunities for participating in the decisions which affect Puget Sound.

(6) A sound-wide approach to dredge spoil disposal shall be adopted and implemented.

(7) Support and encouragement shall be provided for a monitoring and data management system for Puget Sound water and sediment quality. This system shall be comprehensive, nonduplicative, accessible, and useful for management decisions. Avenues may exist for providing this capability, with little increased cost, using existing sources of expertise.

(8) A concerted effort shall be made to protect, preserve, and where possible, restore wetlands and wildlife habitat throughout Puget Sound.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 43.21A RCW to read as follows:

The department of ecology shall:

(1) Work with local jurisdictions and providers of wastewater treatment to expedite improved treatment capabilities;

(2) Convene, for the purpose of coordination, the agencies and institutions needed to provide an adequate water quality monitoring program and a comprehensive base of information;

(3) Work with soil conservation districts, local jurisdictions, the department of natural resources, and other agencies to improve resource management practices on lands draining into Puget Sound; and

(4) Continue developing a series of public service announcements which address the role of individuals in protecting the health of Puget Sound.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. By September 1, 1985, the department of ecology shall report to the legislature their progress in implementing the provisions of this act.