SENATE BILL REPORT

                                   ESHB 2636

         AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES,

                               FEBRUARY 25, 1992

Brief Description:  Requiring solid waste reports and landfill fee reciprocity on waste received from outside the state.

SPONSORS: House Committee on Environmental Affairs (originally sponsored by Representatives Rust, Horn, Valle, Heavey and Brekke)

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS

SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES

Majority Report:  Do pass. 

      Signed by Senators Metcalf, Chairman; Oke, Vice Chairman; Barr, Conner, Owen, Snyder, Sumner, and Sutherland.

Staff:  Gary Wilburn (786‑7453)

Hearing Dates: February 25, 1992

BACKGROUND:

One regional solid waste landfill is currently operating in Washington State and another is planned to open in 1993.  The Rabanco Company is operating a site in Klickitat County with an estimated capacity in excess of 40 million tons.  A company owned by Waste Management Incorporated is planned in Adams County with an estimated capacity of 60 million tons.  The combined residential, commercial, and industrial waste stream generated annually in Washington State is between four and five million tons.

Two regional landfills, with a total capacity of 100 million tons, are currently operating in Oregon.  Seattle has begun sending its waste to one of these facilities and is paying a $2.25 disposal surcharge to the state of Oregon.  Oregon has adopted legislation requiring out-of-state waste to meet certain standards prior to being disposed in Oregon.

Under current law, there are no reporting requirements on out-of-state waste imported into this state nor are there any provisions authorizing the Department of Ecology to assess a fee on such waste.  Solid waste generated in this state must meet certain waste reduction and recycling requirements.  There are no similar standards for out-of-state waste that is imported into this state.

SUMMARY:

Owners or operators of solid waste landfills are required to notify the Department of Ecology 60 days before receiving solid waste generated from an out-of-state source.  Ecology must prepare reporting guidelines.  The guidelines must provide less than 60-day notice for shipments of waste made on an emergency or short-term basis.

The Department of Ecology is directed to impose a fee on out-of-state solid waste incinerated or disposed of in this state, if a state imposes a disposal fee on solid waste generated in Washington State.  Half of the funds received from the fee must go to the appropriate local health department.

The department is required to prohibit land disposal and incineration of solid waste generated outside of this state, if the entity generating the waste does not have waste reduction and recycling requirements comparable to those required in Washington State.

The reciprocal fees and prohibitions do not apply to contracts entered into prior to March 1, 1992.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  requested

Effective Date:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

TESTIMONY FOR:

The bill provides a needed program to review the recycling programs in states where the waste disposed in Washington originated, parallel to the program in Oregon.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  Representative Nancy Rust, prime sponsor (pro)