FINAL BILL REPORT

SHB 1340

                                  C 177 L 88

BYHouse Committee on Environmental Affairs (originally sponsored by Representatives Rust, Walker, Valle, Ferguson, Unsoeld, Brekke, Sprenkle, Holland, P. King, May, Pruitt, Lux, Spanel and Todd)

Creating an office of waste reduction.

House Committe on Environmental Affairs

Senate Committee on Environment & Natural Resources

SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

BACKGROUND:

The state's top waste management priority for both solid and hazardous waste is waste reduction.  Reducing the amount of waste generated results in both reduction of the need for clean-ups and in savings of disposal costs to businesses and governmental entities that generate waste.  Waste reduction also prevents further degradation of the environment and avoids multi-media pollution, whereby one type of pollution (i.e., solid waste) is reduced by increasing another type of pollution (i.e., air).

Over the past five years, at least 10 states have implemented some type of waste reduction program.  These programs include such elements as education, technical assistance, excellence awards and research grants.

In October of 1987 the Washington Legislature enacted the state Hazardous Waste Cleanup (Superfund) law.  Superfund directs the Department of Ecology (Ecology) to contract out to a nonprofit organization the responsibility for establishing a Pollution Prevention Pays Program, which will provide technical assistance to businesses that generate hazardous waste.  In addition to this program, Ecology provides other types of technical assistance relating to solid waste and hazardous waste.

SUMMARY:

There is established in the Department of Ecology an Office of Waste Reduction to encourage voluntary waste reduction by waste generators.  The office shall be the coordinating center for all state agency programs that provide technical assistance to waste generators.

To encourage voluntary waste reduction, the office shall: provide advice and consultation; sponsor technical workshops and seminars; administer a data base and hotline referral service; administer a research and development program; coordinate a public education program; recommend higher education courses and curricula; and require energy and incineration facilities to retain records.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      House 93   0

      Senate    48     0(Senate amended)

      House 91   3(House concurred)

EFFECTIVE:June 9, 1988