H-4386.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2916

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1998 Regular Session

By Representatives Koster, Chandler and Honeyford

Read first time 01/22/98.  Referred to Committee on Government Administration.

Providing that reports of certain accidental discharges from dairy farms are not subject to public disclosure.

    AN ACT Relating to discharges from dairy farms; and adding a new section to chapter 42.17 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 42.17 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) If the owner or operator of a dairy farm reports to the department of ecology that manure or other dairy nutrients have been accidentally discharged to the waters of the state from the dairy farm and that the owner or operator will promptly take corrective action to stop the discharge and prevent its recurrence, the owner's or operator's report of the discharge and the department's records regarding the report are not subject to public disclosure and are exempted from the public inspection and copying provisions of this chapter if the action needed to stop the discharge and prevent its recurrence is taken within fourteen days of the date the discharge is reported.

    (2) A report and records of a report made under subsection (1) of this section are subject to public disclosure and to public inspection and copying under this chapter if the discharge reported is not accidental or if the action needed to stop the discharge and prevent its recurrence is not taken within fourteen days of the date the discharge is reported.

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