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SENATE
BILL 5669
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Passed
Legislature - 1997 Regular Session
State of Washington 55th
Legislature 1997 Regular Session
By
Read first time 02/06/97.
Referred to Committee on Agriculture & Environment.
Revising
the collection of the metals mining and milling fee.
AN
ACT Relating to the collection of the metals mining and milling fee; amending
RCW 78.56.080; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE
LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec.
1. RCW
78.56.080 and 1994 c 232 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:
(1)
The metals mining account is created in the state treasury. Expenditures from
this account are subject to appropriation. Expenditures from this account may
only be used for: (a) The additional inspections of metals mining and milling
operations required by RCW 78.56.070 and (b) the metals mining coordinator
established in RCW 78.56.060.
(2)(a)
As part of its normal budget development process and in consultation with the
metals mining industry, the department of ecology shall estimate the costs
required for the department to meet its obligations for the additional
inspections of metals mining and milling operations required by chapter 232,
Laws of 1994. The department shall also estimate the cost of employing the
metals mining coordinator established in RCW 78.56.060.
(b)
As part of its normal budget development process and in consultation with the
metals mining industry, the department of natural resources shall estimate the
costs required for the department to meet its obligations for the additional
inspections of metals mining and milling operations required by chapter 232,
Laws of 1994.
(3)
Based on the cost estimates generated by the department of ecology and the
department of natural resources, the department of ((revenue)) ecology
shall establish the amount of a fee to be paid by each active metals mining and
milling operation regulated under this chapter. The fee shall be established
at a level to fully recover the direct and indirect costs of the agency
responsibilities identified in subsection (2) of this section. The amount of
the fee for each operation shall be proportional to the number of visits
required per site. Each applicant for a metals mining and milling operation
shall also be assessed the fee based on the same criterion. The department of
((revenue)) ecology may adjust the fees established in this
subsection if unanticipated activity in the industry increases or decreases the
amount of funding necessary to meet agencies' inspection responsibilities.
(4)
The department of ((revenue)) ecology shall collect the fees
established in subsection (3) of this section. ((Chapter 82.32 RCW, insofar
as applicable, applies to the fees imposed under this section.)) All
moneys ((paid to the department of revenue)) from these fees shall be
deposited into the metals mining account.
(((5)
This section shall take effect July 1, 1995, unless the legislature adopts an
alternative approach based on the recommendations of the metals mining advisory
group established in section 27, chapter 232, Laws of 1994.))
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. This
act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or
safety, or support of the state government and its existing public
institutions, and takes effect July 1, 1997.
