AN ACT Relating to water pollution control; amending RCW 90.48.144, 90.48.120, 90.48.340, 90.48.142, 90.48.350, 90.52.040, and 90.54.020; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. By January 1, 1986, the department of ecology shall report to the legislature all enforcement actions initiated from 1983 through November, 1985 regarding the protection of Puget Sound water quality. The report shall include the number and type of complaints received, the number of inspections conducted, the number of violations cited, the number of variances granted, the amount of penalties collected, the number of times maximum fines were collected, the number of penalties that were rescinded, and the number of criminal actions that were taken. The department of ecology shall also hold public hearings in December, 1985 in accordance with the administrative procedure act, chapter 34.04 RCW, regarding the adequacy of current enforcement activities. A report summarizing the testimony presented shall also be prepared for the legislature by February 15, 1986.

Sec. 2. Section 14, chapter 139, Laws of 1967 ex. sess. as last amended by section 9, chapter 155, Laws of 1973 and RCW 90.48.144 are each amended to read as follows:

Every person who:

(1) Violates the terms or conditions of a waste discharge permit issued pursuant to RCW 90.48.180 or this amendatory act, or

(2) Conducts a commercial or industrial operation or other point source discharge operation without a waste discharge permit as required by RCW 90.48.160 or this amendatory act, or

(3) Violates the provisions of RCW 90.48.080, or other sections of this chapter or regulations or orders adopted or issued pursuant thereto, shall incur, in addition to any other penalty as provided by law, a penalty in an amount of up to ((~~five~~)) ten thousand dollars a day for every such violation. Each and every such violation shall be a separate and distinct offense, and in case of a continuing violation, every day's continuance shall be and be deemed to be a separate and distinct violation. Every act of commission or omission which procures, aids or abets in the violation shall be considered a violation under the provisions of this section and subject to the penalty herein provided for. The penalty amount shall be set in consideration of the previous history of the violator in addition to other relevant factors. The penalty herein provided for shall be imposed by a notice in writing, either by certified mail with return receipt requested or by personal service, to the person incurring the same from the director of the department or his authorized delegate describing such violation with reasonable particularity. The director or his authorized delegate may, upon written application therefor received within fifteen days after notice imposing any penalty is received by the person incurring the penalty, and when deemed in the best interest to carry out the purposes of this chapter, remit or mitigate any penalty provided for in this section upon such terms as he in his discretion shall deem proper, and shall have authority to ascertain the facts upon all such applications in such manner and under such regulations as he may deem proper. The director shall remit or mitigate penalties only upon a demonstration of extraordinary circumstances such as the presence of information or factors not considered in setting the original penalty. Any person incurring any penalty hereunder may appeal the same to the hearings board as provided for in chapter 43.21B RCW. Such appeals shall be filed within thirty days of receipt of notice imposing any penalty unless an application for remission or mitigation is made to the department. When an application for remission or mitigation is made, such appeals shall be filed within thirty days of receipt of notice from the director or his authorized delegate setting forth the disposition of the application. Any penalty imposed hereunder shall become due and payable thirty days after receipt of a notice imposing the same unless application for remission or mitigation is made or an appeal is filed. When an application for remission or mitigation is made, any penalty incurred hereunder shall become due and payable thirty days after receipt of notice setting forth the disposition of the application unless an appeal is filed from such disposition. Whenever an appeal of any penalty incurred hereunder is filed, the penalty shall become due and payable only upon completion of all review proceedings and the issuance of a final order confirming the penalty in whole or in part. If the amount of any penalty is not paid to the department within thirty days after it becomes due and payable, the attorney general, upon the request of the director, shall bring an action in the name of the state of Washington in the superior court of Thurston county or of any county in which such violator may do business, to recover such penalty. In all such actions the procedure and rules of evidence shall be the same as an ordinary civil action except as otherwise in this chapter provided. All penalties recovered under this section shall be paid into the state treasury and credited to the general fund.

Sec. 3. Section 18, chapter 216, Laws of 1945 as last amended by section 2, chapter 155, Laws of 1973 and RCW 90.48.120 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Whenever, in the opinion of the department, any person shall violate or ((~~is about~~)) creates a substantial potential to violate the provisions of this chapter, or fails to control the polluting content of waste discharged or to be discharged into any waters of the state, the department shall notify such person of its determination by registered mail. Such determination shall not constitute an order or directive under RCW 90.48.135. Within thirty days from the receipt of notice of such determination, such person shall file with the department a full report stating what steps have been and are being taken to control such waste or pollution or to otherwise comply with the determination of the department. Whereupon the department shall issue such order or directive as it deems appropriate under the circumstances, and shall notify such person thereof by registered mail.

(2) Whenever the department deems immediate action is necessary to accomplish the purposes of chapter 90.48 RCW, it may issue such order or directive, as appropriate under the circumstances, without first issuing a notice or determination pursuant to subsection (1) of this section. An order or directive issued pursuant to this subsection shall be served by registered mail or personally upon any person to whom it is directed.

Sec. 4. Section 5, chapter 133, Laws of 1969 ex. sess. as amended by section 10, chapter 88, Laws of 1970 ex. sess. and RCW 90.48.340 are each amended to read as follows:

The director shall investigate each activity or project conducted under RCW 90.48.330 to determine, if possible, the circumstances surrounding the entry of oil into waters of the state and the person or persons allowing said entry or responsible for the act or acts which result in said entry. Whenever it appears to the director, after investigation, that a specific person or persons are responsible for the necessary expenses incurred by the state pertaining to a project or activity as specified in RCW 90.48.335, the director shall notify said person or persons by appropriate order: PROVIDED, That no order may be issued pertaining to a project or activity which was completed more than five years prior to the date of the proposed issuance of the order. Said order shall state the findings of the director, the amount of necessary expenses incurred by the commission in conducting the project or activity, and a notice that said amount is due and payable immediately upon receipt of said order. The commission may, upon application from the recipient of an order received within thirty days from the receipt of the order, reduce or set aside in its entirety the amount due and payable, when it appears from the application, and from any further investigation the commission may desire to undertake, that a reduction or setting aside is just and fair under all the circumstances. If the amount specified in the order issued by the director notifying said person or persons is not paid within thirty days after receipt of notice imposing the same, or if an application has been made within thirty days as herein provided and the amount provided in the order issued by the commission subsequent to such application is not paid within fifteen days after receipt thereof, the attorney general, upon request of the director, shall bring an action on behalf of the state in the superior court of Thurston county or any county in which the person to which the order is directed does business to recover the amount specified in the final order of the director or the commission, as appropriate. No order issued under this section shall be construed as an order within the meaning of RCW 90.48.135. In any action to recover necessary expenses as herein provided said person shall be relieved from liability for necessary expenses if he can prove that the oil to which the necessary expenses relate entered the waters of the state by causes set forth in RCW 90.48.320(3). ((~~For purposes of this section "necessary expenses" shall not include expenses relating to investigation or the performance of surveillance.~~))

Sec. 5. Section 13, chapter 139, Laws of 1967 ex. sess. as amended by section 12, chapter 88, Laws of 1970 ex. sess. and RCW 90.48.142 are each amended to read as follows:

Any person who violates any of the provisions of this chapter, or fails to perform any duty imposed by this chapter, or violates an order or other determination of the commission or the director made pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, including the conditions of a waste discharge permit issued pursuant to RCW 90.48.160, and in the course thereof causes the death of, or injury to, fish, animals, vegetation or other resources of the state, or otherwise causes a measurable reduction in the quality of the state's waters ((~~below the standards set by the commission~~)), thereby damaging the same, shall be liable to pay the state damages in an amount equal to the sum of money necessary to restock such waters, replenish such resources, and otherwise restore the stream, lake or other water source to its condition prior to the injury, as such condition is determined by the commission. Such damages shall be recoverable in an action brought by the attorney general on behalf of the people of the state of Washington in the superior court of the county in which such damages occurred: PROVIDED, That if damages occurred in more than one county the attorney general may bring action in any of the counties where the damages occurred. Any money so recovered by the attorney general shall be transferred to either the state game fund or the department of fisheries to use for food fish or shellfish management purposes and propagation, or to any other agency of the state having jurisdiction over the resource damaged and for which said moneys were recovered, as appropriate: PROVIDED, That the agency receiving such money shall utilize not less than one-half of said money on activities or projects within the county where the action was brought by the attorney general. No action shall be authorized under this section against any person operating in compliance with the conditions of a waste discharge permit issued pursuant to RCW 90.48.160.

Sec. 6. Section 7, chapter 133, Laws of 1969 ex. sess. as amended by section 9, chapter 88, Laws of 1970 ex. sess. and RCW 90.48.350 are each amended to read as follows:

Any person who ((~~intentionally or negligently~~)) discharges oil, or causes or permits the entry of the same, shall incur, in addition to any other penalty as provided by law, a penalty in an amount of up to twenty thousand dollars for every such violation, and for each day of a continuing violation; said amount to be determined by the director of the commission after taking into consideration the gravity of the violation, the previous record of the violator in complying, or failing to comply, with the provisions of chapter 90.48 RCW, and such other considerations as the director deems appropriate. Every act of commission or omission which procures, aids or abets in the violation shall be considered a violation under the provisions of this section and subject to the penalty herein provided for. The penalty herein provided for shall become due and payable when the person incurring the same receives a notice in writing from the director of the commission describing such violation with reasonable particularity and advising such person that the penalty is due. The director may, upon written application therefor, received within fifteen days, and when deemed in the best interest of the state in carrying out the purposes of this chapter, remit or mitigate any penalty provided for in this section or discontinue any prosecution to recover the same upon such terms as he in his discretion shall deem proper, and shall have the authority to ascertain the facts upon all such applications in such manner and under such regulations as he may deem proper. If the amount of such penalty is not paid to the commission within fifteen days after the receipt of notice imposing the same, or if an application for remission or mitigation has been made within fifteen days as herein provided and the amount provided in the order issued by the director subsequent to such application is not paid within fifteen days after the receipt thereof, the attorney general, upon the request of the director, shall bring an action in the name of the state of Washington in the superior court of Thurston county or any other county in which such violator may do business, to recover the amount specified in the final order of the director. In all such actions the procedure and rules of evidence shall be the same as an ordinary civil action except as otherwise in this chapter provided. All penalties recovered under this section shall be paid into the state treasury and credited to the general fund. No order issued under this section shall be construed as an order within the meaning of RCW 90.48.135.

Sec. 7. Section 4, chapter 160, Laws of 1971 ex. sess. and RCW 90.52.040 are each amended to read as follows:

In the administration of the provisions of chapter 90.48 RCW, the director of the department of ecology shall, regardless of the quality of the water of the state to which wastes are discharged or proposed for discharge, and regardless of the minimum water quality standards established by the director for said waters, require wastes to be provided with all known, available, and reasonable methods of treatment prior to their discharge or entry into waters of the state: PROVIDED, That the department shall have authority to concur with waivers from the uniform national requirements of secondary treatment and in making such decisions shall use the criteria specified in section 301 (h) of the federal clean water act, to municipalities that discharge wastewaters into the marine waters of the state.

Sec. 8. Section 2, chapter 225, Laws of 1971 ex. sess. and RCW 90.54.020 are each amended to read as follows:

Utilization and management of the waters of the state shall be guided by the following general declaration of fundamentals:

(1) Uses of water for domestic, stock watering, industrial, commercial, agricultural, irrigation, hydroelectric power production, mining, fish and wildlife maintenance and enhancement, recreational, and thermal power production purposes, and preservation of environmental and aesthetic values, and all other uses compatible with the enjoyment of the public waters of the state, are declared to be beneficial.

(2) Allocation of waters among potential uses and users shall be based generally on the securing of the maximum net benefits for the people of the state. Maximum net benefits shall constitute total benefits less costs including opportunities lost.

(3) The quality of the natural environment shall be protected and, where possible, enhanced as follows:

(a) Perennial rivers and streams of the state shall be retained with base flows necessary to provide for preservation of wildlife, fish, scenic, aesthetic and other environmental values, and navigational values. Lakes and ponds shall be retained substantially in their natural condition. Withdrawals of water which would conflict therewith shall be authorized only in those situations where it is clear that overriding considerations of the public interest will be served.

(b) Waters of the state shall be of high quality. Regardless of the quality of the waters of the state, all wastes and other materials and substances proposed for entry into said waters shall be provided with all known, available, and reasonable methods of treatment prior to entry: PROVIDED, That the department shall have the authority to concur with waivers from the uniform national requirements of secondary treatment and in making such decisions shall use the criteria specified in section 301 (h) of the federal clean water act, to municipalities that discharge wastewaters into the marine waters of the state. Notwithstanding that standards of quality established for the waters of the state would not be violated, wastes and other materials and substances shall not be allowed to enter such waters which will reduce the existing quality thereof, except in those situations where it is clear that overriding considerations of the public interest will be served.

(4) Adequate and safe supplies of water shall be preserved and protected in potable condition to satisfy human domestic needs.

(5) Multiple-purpose impoundment structures are to be preferred over single-purpose structures. Due regard shall be given to means and methods for protection of fishery resources in the planning for and construction of water impoundment structures and other artificial obstructions.

(6) Federal, state, and local governments, individuals, corporations, groups and other entities shall be encouraged to carry out practices of conservation as they relate to the use of the waters of the state.

(7) Development of water supply systems, whether publicly or privately owned, which provide water to the public generally in regional areas within the state shall be encouraged. Development of water supply systems for multiple domestic use which will not serve the public generally shall be discouraged where water supplies are available from water systems serving the public.

(8) Full recognition shall be given in the administration of water allocation and use programs to the natural interrelationships of surface and ground waters.

(9) Expressions of the public interest will be sought at all stages of water planning and allocation discussions.

(10) Water management programs, including but not limited to, water quality, flood control, drainage, erosion control and storm runoff are deemed to be in the public interest.