AN ACT Relating to certification of environmental technologies; and adding new sections to chapter 43.21A RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 43.21A RCW to read as follows:

(1) The legislature finds that:

(a) New and innovative environmental technologies can help improve environmental quality at lower costs;

(b) Current regulatory processes often include permits or approvals that require applicants to duplicate costly technical analysis;

(c) The commercialization of innovative environmental technologies can be discouraged due to the costs of repeated environmental analysis;

(d) The regulatory process can be improved by sharing and relying on information generated through demonstration projects and technical certification programs; and

(e) Other states have developed programs to certify environmental technologies in order to streamline the permitting process and to encourage use of environmental technologies.

(2) The legislature therefore declares that the department shall:

(a) Review environmental technology certification programs established by other states or federal agencies, and enter into agreements to use the information from these programs if the department finds that this information will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the state's environmental regulatory process; and

(b) Participate in technology demonstration activities that support the state's needs for environmental technology.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 43.21A RCW to read as follows:

(1) At the request of a project proponent, the department shall consider information developed through a certification program when making permit or other regulatory decisions. The department may not require duplicative demonstration of such information, but may require additional information as necessary to assure that state requirements are met. A local government that has a regulatory authority delegated by the department may use information developed through a certification program when making permit or other regulatory decisions.

(2) The department shall develop a certification program for technologies for remediation of radioactive and mixed waste, as those terms are defined in chapter 70.105 RCW, if all program development and operational costs are paid by the federal government or persons seeking certification of the technologies.

(3) Following the development of the certification program in subsection (2) of this section, the department may use the policies and procedures of that program on a pilot basis to evaluate the use of certification for site remediation technologies and other environmental technologies, if the operational costs of the certification are paid by the federal government or persons seeking certification of such technologies.

(4) The department shall charge a reasonable fee to recover the operational costs of certifying a technology.

(5) Subsections (1), (3), and (4) of this section apply to permit and other regulatory decisions made under the following: Chapters 70.94, 70.95, 70.105, 70.105D, 70.120, 70.138, 90.48, 90.54, and 90.56 RCW.

(6) For the purposes of this section, "certification program" means a program, developed or approved by the department, to certify the quantitative performance of an environmental technology over a specified range of parameters and conditions. Certification of a technology does not imply endorsement of a specific technology by the department, or a guarantee of the performance of a technology.

(7) The department may adopt rules as necessary to implement the requirements of subsections (2) and (3) of this section, and establish requirements and procedures for evaluation and certification of environmental technologies.