SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 6344

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

          Agriculture & Environment, February 5, 1998

Title:  An act relating to the transportation impacts of low‑level radioactive waste.

Brief Description:  Transporting low‑level radioactive waste.

Sponsors:  Senators Brown, Morton and Rasmussen.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Agriculture & Environment:  1/28/98, 2/5/98 [DPS].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE & ENVIRONMENT

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6344 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

  Signed by Senators Morton, Chair; Swecker, Vice Chair; Fraser, McAuliffe, Oke and Rasmussen.

Staff:  Vic Moon (786-7469)

Background:  The site of the uranium milling operation next to the Spokane Indian reservation in Stevens County is being reclaimed.  The authority to direct reclamation of uranium and thorium mills is under the Department of Health.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  Counties affected by the transportation of waste classified as 11e(2) are given authority to recover reasonable fees to plan for and respond to the movement of such waste.

When the transportation of 11e(2) waste goes through a county, any county may assess county impact fees to cover the costs reasonably necessary for the county to prepare for and respond to the movement of such waste.  County impact fees may be imposed by the counties on the persons responsible for transporting the waste only after the county conducts a hearing on the potential transportation  and safety impacts and the extent to which the state plan for authorizing transportation addresses the impacts on the county. 

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The broad term Alow level radioactive waste@ is narrowed so the application is only to 11e(2) mill tailings as defined by federal rules under the 1952 Atomic Energy Act.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  Counties need to assess fees to protect and repair roads.

Testimony Against:  The bill is not needed since the Dawn Mine will pay for road damage voluntarily and the bill does not refer to the right kind of waste so it would affect other transportation of waste to the Dawn Mine reclamation site.

Testified:  PRO:  Josh Baldi, WA Environmental Council; Owen Berg, Dawn Watch; Mary Moore, Spokane Tribe; Cherie Rodgers, Spokane City Council; CON: Eric Slagle, Gary Robertson, DOH; Linda Hull, Dawn Mining; Barry Bede, US Ecology.