SENATE BILL REPORT

                                    SB 5367

                        AS PASSED SENATE, MARCH 7, 1991

Brief Description:  Concerning the transport of recovered materials.

SPONSORS:Senators Patterson, Sellar, Owen and Snyder.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.

      Signed by Senators Patterson, Chairman; Nelson, Vice Chairman; von Reichbauer, Vice Chairman; Barr, Conner, Erwin, Hansen, Madsen, McMullen, Oke, Skratek, Thorsness, and Vognild. 

Staff:  Mary McLaughlin (786-7309)

Hearing Dates:February 12, 1991

BACKGROUND:

Legislation was enacted in 1990 that:  (1) exempted certain movements of "recovered materials" by motor freight carriers from rate regulation by the Utilities and 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, 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:

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.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  available

TESTIMONY FOR:

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

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  John Ficker, Weyerhaeuser (pro)