HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1468

                    As Passed Legislature

Title:  An act relating to surface mining.

Brief Description:  Removing authority to modify reclamation permit fees.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Natural Resources (originally sponsored by  Representatives Buck, Chandler, Grant, Sump, Sheldon, Hatfield, Alexander, Delvin and Pennington).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Natural Resources:  2/12/97, 2/28/97 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  3/12/97, 97‑0.

Senate Amended.

House Concurred.

Passed Legislature.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 10 members:  Representatives Buck, Chairman; Sump, Vice Chairman; Regala, Ranking Minority Member; Butler, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Alexander; Anderson; Chandler; Hatfield; Pennington and Sheldon.

Staff:  Linda Byers (786-7129).

Background:  Surface mine reclamation permit holders pay an annual permit fee.  In 1993, the Legislature set the annual permit fee at $650.  The Legislature also gave the Department of Natural Resources the authority to modify the annual permit fee by rule.  The department has not done so.

Counties receive a special discount on these annual permit fees.  Annual fees paid by a county for mines used exclusively for public works projects and having less than seven acres of disturbed area per mine may not exceed $1,000.  Annual fees are waived entirely for all mines used primarily for public works projects if the mines are owned and primarily operated by counties with 1993 populations of less than 20,000 persons.  Twelve counties had 1993 populations of less than 20,000 persons.

Summary of Bill:  The Department of Natural Resources= authority to modify the annual surface mine reclamation permit fee by rule is removed.  The permit fee waiver for certain county mines applies only to mines with less than seven acres of disturbed area.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  The setting of these fees should be under the control of the Legislature.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Mark Triplett, Washington Aggregate & Concrete Association.