AN ACT Relating to establishing a state dairy groundwater discharge permit that is issued under the sole authority of state law; amending RCW 90.48.260, 90.64.030, and 90.64.120; adding new sections to chapter 90.48 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 90.48 RCW to read as follows:

(1)(a) The department, in consultation with the department of agriculture, must establish a general permit, known as the state dairy groundwater discharge permit, issued under the sole authority of this chapter that is available to concentrated animal feeding operations that discharge exclusively to groundwater.

(b) A concentrated animal feeding operation that discharges to groundwater but that does not discharge to surface waters must be eligible to obtain coverage under either:

(i) The permit established under this section; or

(ii) Any combined permit issued under both the authority of this chapter and the authority of the federal clean water act, 33 U.S.C. Sec. 1251 et seq.

(c) A concentrated animal feeding operation that discharges exclusively to groundwater electing to obtain coverage under the permit established under this section is not required to obtain coverage under any combined permit issued under both the authority of this chapter and the authority of the federal clean water act, 33 U.S.C. Sec. 1251 et seq.

(2) A concentrated animal feeding operation that stores manure, stores manure effluent, or that applies manure nutrients to land must be eligible to apply for coverage under the permit established under this section.

(3)(a) The department shall issue the permit established under this section in consultation with the department of agriculture. The department shall administer the permit jointly with the department of agriculture.

(b) The department and the department of agriculture must rely on the processes and procedures adopted pursuant to section 2 of this act in administering the permit established under this section.

(4) All requirements in this section are subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for the specific purposes described.

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

(1) The department and the department of agriculture shall operate the permit program for the state dairy groundwater discharge permit established in section 1 of this act via a memorandum of agreement regarding the administration of permits and enforcement of permit conditions for the state dairy groundwater discharge permit.

(2) The permit administration procedures adopted pursuant to this section must:

(a) Establish protocols that identify manure lagoons and effluent storage systems that are a significant risk to groundwater resources; and

(b) Identify and facilitate the use of federal and state cost-share programs to support the improvements to manure lagoons and effluent storage systems identified in (a) of this subsection.

(3) The department of agriculture has primary responsibility for inspections of concentrated animal feeding operations covered by the state dairy groundwater discharge permit.

(4) For purposes of this section and section 1 of this act, concentrated animal feeding operations has the same meaning as the term is defined in 40 C.F.R. Sec. 122.23, as of the effective date of this section, but is limited to operations that meet the definition of concentrated animal feeding operations based on the number of dairy cows.

(5) All requirements in this section are subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for the specific purposes described.

Sec. 3.  RCW 90.48.260 and 2012 1st sp.s. c 1 s 313 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The department of ecology is hereby designated as the state water pollution control agency for all purposes of the federal clean water act as it exists on February 4, 1987, and is hereby authorized to participate fully in the programs of the act as well as to take all action necessary to secure to the state the benefits and to meet the requirements of that act. With regard to the national estuary program established by section 320 of that act, the department shall exercise its responsibility jointly with the Puget Sound partnership, created in RCW 90.71.210. The department of ecology may delegate its authority under this chapter, including its national pollutant discharge elimination permit system authority and duties regarding animal feeding operations and concentrated animal feeding operations, to the department of agriculture through a memorandum of understanding. Until any such delegation receives federal approval, the department of agriculture's adoption or issuance of animal feeding operation and concentrated animal feeding operation rules, permits, programs, and directives pertaining to water quality shall be accomplished after reaching agreement with the director of the department of ecology or shall be consistent with the requirements of sections 1 and 2 of this act with respect to the administration of the state dairy groundwater discharge permit. Adoption or issuance and implementation shall be accomplished so that compliance with such animal feeding operation and concentrated animal feeding operation rules, permits, programs, and directives will achieve compliance with all federal and state water pollution control laws. The powers granted herein include, among others, and notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter or otherwise, the following:

(a) Complete authority to establish and administer a comprehensive state point source waste discharge or pollution discharge elimination permit program which will enable the department to qualify for full participation in any national waste discharge or pollution discharge elimination permit system and will allow the department to be the sole agency issuing permits required by such national system operating in the state of Washington subject to the provisions of RCW 90.48.262(2). Program elements authorized herein may include, but are not limited to: (i) Effluent treatment and limitation requirements together with timing requirements related thereto; (ii) applicable receiving water quality standards requirements; (iii) requirements of standards of performance for new sources; (iv) pretreatment requirements; (v) termination and modification of permits for cause; (vi) requirements for public notices and opportunities for public hearings; (vii) appropriate relationships with the secretary of the army in the administration of his or her responsibilities which relate to anchorage and navigation, with the administrator of the environmental protection agency in the performance of his or her duties, and with other governmental officials under the federal clean water act; (viii) requirements for inspection, monitoring, entry, and reporting; (ix) enforcement of the program through penalties, emergency powers, and criminal sanctions; (x) a continuing planning process; and (xi) user charges.

(b) The power to establish and administer state programs in a manner which will ensure the procurement of moneys, whether in the form of grants, loans, or otherwise; to assist in the construction, operation, and maintenance of various water pollution control facilities and works; and the administering of various state water pollution control management, regulatory, and enforcement programs.

(c) The power to develop and implement appropriate programs pertaining to continuing planning processes, area-wide waste treatment management plans, and basin planning.

(2) The governor shall have authority to perform those actions required of him or her by the federal clean water act.

(3) By July 31, 2012, the department shall:

(a) Reissue without modification and for a term of one year any national pollutant discharge elimination system municipal storm water general permit applicable to western Washington municipalities first issued on January 17, 2007; and

(b) Issue an updated national pollutant discharge elimination system municipal storm water general permit applicable to western Washington municipalities for any permit first issued on January 17, 2007. An updated permit issued under this subsection shall become effective beginning August 1, 2013.

(i) Provisions of the updated permit issued under (b) of this subsection relating to new requirements for low-impact development and review and revision of local development codes, rules, standards, or other enforceable documents to incorporate low-impact development principles must be implemented simultaneously. These requirements may go into effect no earlier than December 31, 2016, or the time of the scheduled update under RCW 36.70A.130(5), as existing on July 10, 2012, whichever is later.

(ii) Provisions of the updated permit issued under (b) of this subsection related to increased catch basin inspection and illicit discharge detection frequencies and application of new storm water controls to projects smaller than one acre may go into effect no earlier than December 31, 2016, or the time of the scheduled update under RCW 36.70A.130(5), as existing on July 10, 2012, whichever is later.

(4) By July 31, 2012, the department shall:

(a) Reissue without modification and for a term of two years any national pollutant discharge elimination system municipal storm water general permit applicable to eastern Washington municipalities first issued on January 17, 2007; and

(b) Issue an updated national pollutant discharge elimination system municipal storm water general permit for any permit first issued on January 17, 2007, applicable to eastern Washington municipalities. An updated permit issued under this subsection becomes effective August 1, 2014.

Sec. 4.  RCW 90.64.030 and 2011 c 103 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Under the inspection program established in RCW 90.64.023, the department may investigate a dairy farm to determine whether the operation is discharging pollutants or has a record of discharging pollutants into surface or ground waters of the state. Upon concluding an investigation, the department shall make a written report of its findings, including the results of any water quality measurements, photographs, or other pertinent information, and provide a copy of the report to the dairy producer within twenty days of the investigation.

(2) The department shall investigate a written complaint filed with the department within three working days and shall make a written report of its findings including the results of any water quality measurements, photographs, or other pertinent information. Within twenty days of receiving a written complaint, a copy of the findings shall be provided to the dairy producer subject to the complaint, and to the complainant if the person gave his or her name and address to the department at the time the complaint was filed.

(3) The department may consider past complaints against the same dairy farm from the same person and the results of its previous inspections, and has the discretion to decide whether to conduct an inspection if:

(a) The same or a similar complaint or complaints have been filed against the same dairy farm within the immediately preceding six-month period; and

(b) The department made a determination that the activity that was the subject of the prior complaint was not a violation.

(4) If the decision of the department is not to conduct an inspection, it shall document the decision and the reasons for the decision within twenty days. The department shall provide the decision to the complainant if the name and address were provided to the department, and to the dairy producer subject to the complaint, and the department shall place the decision in the department's administrative records.

(5) The report of findings of any inspection conducted as the result of either an oral or a written complaint shall be placed in the department's administrative records. Only findings of violations shall be entered into the database identified in RCW 90.64.130.

(6) A dairy farm that is determined to be in violation of the terms or conditions of the state dairy groundwater discharge permit, or of an individual or general national pollution discharge elimination system permit, or a significant contributor of pollution based on actual water quality tests, photographs, or other pertinent information is subject to the provisions of this chapter and to the enforcement provisions of chapters 43.05 and 90.48 RCW, including civil penalties levied under RCW 90.48.144.

(7) If the department determines that an unresolved water quality problem from a dairy farm requires immediate corrective action, the department shall notify the producer and the district in which the problem is located. When corrective actions are required to address such unresolved water quality problems, the department shall provide copies of all final dairy farm inspection reports and documentation of all formal regulatory and enforcement actions taken by the department against that particular dairy farm to the local conservation district and to the appropriate dairy farm within twenty days.

(8) For a violation of water quality laws that is a first offense for a dairy producer, the penalty may be waived to allow the producer to come into compliance with water quality laws. The department shall record all legitimate violations and subsequent enforcement actions.

(9) A discharge, including a storm water discharge, to surface waters of the state shall not be considered a violation of this chapter, chapter 90.48 RCW, or chapter 173-201A WAC, and shall therefore not be enforceable by the department of ecology or a third party, if at the time of the discharge, a violation is not occurring under RCW 90.64.010 (17). In addition, a dairy producer shall not be held liable for violations of this chapter, chapter 90.48 RCW, chapter 173-201A WAC, or the federal clean water act due to the discharge of dairy nutrients to waters of the state resulting from spreading these materials on lands other than where the nutrients were generated, when the nutrients are spread by persons other than the dairy producer or the dairy producer's agent.

(10) As provided under RCW 7.48.305, agricultural activities associated with the management of dairy nutrients are presumed to be reasonable and shall not be found to constitute a nuisance unless the activity has a substantial adverse effect on public health and safety.

(11) This section specifically acknowledges that if a holder of a general or individual national pollutant discharge elimination system permit complies with the permit and the dairy nutrient management plan conditions for appropriate land application practices, the permit provides compliance with the federal clean water act and acts as a shield against citizen or agency enforcement for any additions of pollutants to waters of the state or of the United States as authorized by the permit.

(12) This section specifically acknowledges that if a party covered under the state dairy groundwater discharge permit complies with the permit and the dairy nutrient management plan conditions for appropriate land application practices, the permit provides compliance with chapter 90.48 RCW.

(13) A dairy producer who fails to have an approved dairy nutrient management plan by July 1, 2002, or a certified dairy nutrient management plan by December 31, 2003, and for which no appeals have been filed with the pollution control hearings board, is in violation of this chapter. Each month beyond these deadlines that a dairy producer is out of compliance with the requirement for either plan approval or plan certification shall be considered separate violations of this chapter (( 90.64 RCW)) that may be subject to penalties. Such penalties may not exceed one hundred dollars per month for each violation up to a combined total of five thousand dollars. The department has discretion in imposing penalties for failure to meet deadlines for plan approval or plan certification if the failure to comply is due to lack of state funding for implementation of the program. Failure to register as required in RCW 90.64.017 shall subject a dairy producer to a maximum penalty of one hundred dollars. Penalties shall be levied by the department.

Sec. 5.  RCW 90.64.120 and 2003 c 325 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Nothing in this chapter shall affect the department of ecology's authority or responsibility to administer or enforce the national pollutant discharge elimination system permits for operators of concentrated dairy animal feeding operations, where required by federal regulations or to administer the provisions of chapter 90.48 RCW.

(2) The department of agriculture may take enforcement action as provided in this chapter against a dairy found to be in violation of the terms or conditions of the state dairy groundwater discharge permit issued under chapter 90.48 RCW.

(3) Unless the department of ecology delegates its authority under chapter 90.48 RCW to the department of agriculture pursuant to RCW 90.48.260, and until any such delegation of authority receives federal approval, the transfer specified in RCW 90.64.901 shall not preclude the department of ecology from taking action related to animal feeding operations or concentrated animal feeding operations to protect water quality pursuant to its authority in chapter 90.48 RCW. Before taking such actions, the department of ecology shall notify the department of agriculture.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6.  A new section is added to chapter 90.48 RCW to read as follows:

(1) By November 1, 2018, the department and the department of agriculture shall submit a report to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the legislature on the progress of the implementation of the permit established pursuant to sections 1 and 2 of this act. This report must include recommendations for the establishment or improvement of programs that allow for shared costs of manure lagoon or effluent storage system improvements that are required of concentrated animal feeding operations under sections 1 and 2 of this act.

(2) All requirements in this section are subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for the specific purposes described.

(3) This section expires June 30, 2020.

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