HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  SB 5367

                       As Passed House

                       April 10, 1991

Title:  An act relating to transporting recovered materials.

Brief Description:  Concerning the transport of recovered materials.

Sponsor(s):  Senators Patterson, Sellar, Owen and Snyder.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Transportation, March 25, 1991, DP;

Passed House, April 10, 1991, 91-2.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: Do pass.  Signed by 24 members:  Representatives R. Fisher, Chair; R. Meyers, Vice Chair; Betrozoff, Ranking Minority Member; Chandler, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Brough; Cantwell; Cooper; Day; G. Fisher; Forner; Haugen; Horn; P. Johnson; R. Johnson; Jones; Mitchell; Nelson; Orr; Prentice; Prince; Schmidt; Wilson; Wood; and Zellinsky.

Staff:  Mary McLaughlin (786-7309).

Background:  Legislation was enacted in 1990 that:  (1) exempted certain movements of "recovered materials" by motor freight carriers from rate regulation by the Utilities & Transportation Commission (UTC), and (2) allowed the carriers to qualify under the UTC's more relaxed entry standard of Fit, Willing & Able.

"Recovered materials" are materials collected for recycling or reuse such as paper, glass, aluminum, plastics, used wood, metals, yard waste, and used oil and tires that would otherwise be transported to a disposal or incineration site.  Wood waste generated by a logging, chipping, or milling activity is not a recovered material.

The transportation of recovered materials from a site generating a minimum of 10,000 tons of material per year to a reprocessing facility or an end-use manufacturing site is one type of movement that is exempt from rate regulation.  The state's large generators are not capable of producing 10,000 tons of recovered materials annually from a single site.

Summary of Bill:  Large generators of recyclable materials are allowed to produce the annual minimum of 10,000 tons of recovered materials at one or more sites operated by the generator.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  The original intent of the legislation is clarified.  The recycling of large quantities of recovered materials is encouraged.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Joe Tanner, Washington State Recycling Association.