H-1530.1 _______________________________________________
HOUSE BILL 2216
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 55th Legislature 1997 Regular Session
By Representatives Mastin, Chandler and Grant
Read first time 02/27/97. Referred to Committee on Agriculture & Ecology.
AN ACT Relating to field and turf grasses grown for seed; and amending RCW 70.94.656.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 70.94.656 and 1995 c 261 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
It
is hereby declared to be the policy of this state that strong efforts should be
made to minimize adverse effects on air quality from the open burning of field
and turf grasses grown for seed. To such end this section is intended to
promote the development of economical and practical ((alternate)) alternative
agricultural practices to such burning, and to provide for interim regulation
of such burning until practical ((alternates)) alternatives are
found.
(1)
The department shall approve of a study or studies for the exploration and
identification of economical and practical ((alternate)) alternative
agricultural practices to the open burning of field and turf grasses grown for
seed. Any study conducted pursuant to this section shall be conducted by Washington
State University. The university may not charge more than eight percent for
administrative overhead. Prior to the issuance of any permit for such burning
under RCW 70.94.650, there shall be collected a fee not to exceed one dollar
per acre of crop to be burned. Any such fees received by any authority shall
be transferred to the department of ecology. The department of ecology shall
deposit all such acreage fees in a special grass seed burning research account,
hereby created, in the state treasury.
(2)
The department shall allocate moneys annually from this account for the support
of any approved study or studies as provided for in subsection (1) of this
section. Whenever the department of ecology shall conclude that sufficient
reasonably available ((alternates)) alternatives to open burning
have been developed, and at such time as all costs of any studies have been
paid, the grass seed burning research account shall be dissolved, and any money
remaining therein shall revert to the general fund. The fee collected under
subsection (1) of this section shall constitute the research portion of fees
required under RCW 70.94.650 for open burning of grass grown for seed.
(3)
Whenever on the basis of information available to it, the department after public
hearings have been conducted wherein testimony will be received and considered
from interested parties wishing to testify shall conclude that any procedure,
program, technique, or device constitutes a practical ((alternate)) alternative
agricultural practice to the open burning of field or turf grasses grown for
seed, the department shall, by order, certify approval of such ((alternate))
alternative. Thereafter, in any case which any such approved ((alternate))
alternative is reasonably available, the open burning of field and turf
grasses grown for seed shall be disallowed and no permit shall issue therefor.
(4)
Until approved ((alternates)) alternatives become available, the
department or the authority may limit in a county with a population of three
hundred fifty thousand or more the number of acres on a pro rata basis
among those affected for which permits to burn will be issued in order to
effectively control emissions from this source.
(5) Permits issued for burning of field and turf grasses may be conditioned to minimize emissions insofar as practical, including denial of permission to burn during periods of adverse meteorological conditions.
(6) By November 1, 1996, and every two years thereafter until grass seed burning is prohibited, Washington State University shall submit to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature a brief report assessing the potential of the university's research to result in economical and practical alternatives to grass seed burning.
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