S-3946               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 4798

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1986 Regular Session

By Senators Granlund, Zimmerman, Kreidler and Talmadge

Read first time 1/23/86 and referred to Committee on Parks & Ecology.

AN ACT Relating to water pollution control; adding new sections to chapter 90.48 RCW; and creating new sections.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     It is the intent of the legislature to make the department of ecology's enforcement efforts more effective in protecting the state's water quality.  The legislature declares that the department of ecology shall diligently monitor and inspect dischargers with and without permits for discharge.  The legislature further declares that the department of ecology shall address needed adjustments to permits and standards to better protect water quality and ensure that all known, available, and reasonable treatment is implemented and measures required to protect water quality are achieved.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     A minimum of ten percent of all inspections conducted by the department of ecology of dischargers in possession of water quality discharge permits shall be unannounced.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     Every five years, the department of ecology shall review all effluent standards used as a basis for issuing water quality discharge permits.  Detailed research previously conducted by the federal environmental protection agency shall not be reproduced unless the department deems it is necessary in order to accomplish the objectives of this chapter.  Effluent standards shall be reviewed to protect water quality and to ensure that all known, available, and reasonable treatment is implemented.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     The department of ecology shall establish, by rule, effluent standards for permits where standards do not exist or are inadequate to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.     By January 1, the department shall submit a report to the legislature on its effectiveness in implementing sections 2 through 4 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6.     Sections 2 through 4 of this act are each added to chapter 90.48 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7.     If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.