Title: An act relating to air registrations for elevators and warehouses.

Brief Description: Regarding air registrations for elevators and warehouses.

Sponsors: By Senators Schoesler, Rasmussen, Morton and Delvin.

Brief History:

Economic Development, Agriculture & Trade: 3/23/05, 3/25/05 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House: 4/5/05, 93-1.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AGRICULTURE & TRADE

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 21 members: Representatives Linville, Chair; Pettigrew, Vice Chair; Kristiansen, Ranking Minority Member; Skinner, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Blake, Buri, Chase, Clibborn, Condotta, Dunn, Grant, Haler, Holmquist, Kenney, Kretz, McCoy, Morrell, Newhouse, Quall, Strow and Wallace.

Staff: Meg Van Schoorl (786-7105).

Background:

The state's Clean Air Act authorizes the Department of Ecology (DOE) or a local air pollution control authority board to: (1) classify air contaminant sources that may cause or contribute to air pollution and (2) require registration, reporting and payment of a fee by those classes of sources. The fees may be set only to compensate for certain costs of administering the registration program.

Once a registration, report, or fee has been filed for a grain warehouse or grain elevator, the registration, report or fee may not be required again for certain warehouses or elevators after January 1, 1997. This exemption does not apply if the licensed capacity of the warehouse or elevator is increased, or for facilities that handle more than 10 million bushels of grain annually.

"Pulses" are pod-bearing plants such as peas, beans, and lentils.

Summary of Bill:

Certain licensed grain warehouses or elevators that store and clean grain, including pulses, are exempted from the requirement to register, report, or pay fees on a renewable basis to the DOE air pollution source registration program. "Grain" is defined to include grains or pulses.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: There is no need to provide this information through the Air Program because it is already available for free through the Department of Agriculture licensing program or from commodity commissions. This bill clarifies that peas, beans and garbanzo beans should be covered under this exception.

(Neutral) Twenty to 25 pea, bean and lentil companies would be exempted under this bill, which codifies existing agency practice.

Testimony Against: None.

Persons Testifying: (In support) Senator Schoesler, prime sponsor; and Dan Coyne, Washington State Council of Farmer Cooperatives.

(Neutral) Marshall Taylor, Department of Ecology.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.