_____________________________________________ 

ENGROSSED SECOND SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6211
_____________________________________________
State of Washington62nd Legislature2012 Regular Session

By Senate Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Ranker, Litzow, Fain, Hargrove, Kilmer, Hill, Nelson, Keiser, and Conway)

READ FIRST TIME 02/07/12.   



     AN ACT Relating to accelerating cleanup of hazardous waste sites; amending RCW 70.105D.010, 70.105D.020, 70.105D.030, 70.105D.040, and 70.105D.050; reenacting and amending RCW 70.105D.070 and 43.84.092; adding new sections to chapter 70.105D RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that the cleanup and reuse of former commercial, industrial, and other sites contaminated with hazardous substances has economic, environmental, and public health benefits for the communities where these sites are located. Public investment in the cleanup of hazardous waste sites has multiple benefits, with some estimates indicating that for every state dollar invested toward cleanup, there is generated six dollars in local tax revenue, seven dollars in payroll revenue, and thirty-two dollars in business revenue. The legislature further finds that the cleanup of these "brownfield" properties should not be conducted in isolation from the community's plans for future economic, environmental, and social uses of the property, and that integrating the cleanup with future site uses may provide a greater opportunity to bring substantial private resources into the cleanup.
     Therefore, it is the intent of this act to authorize a greater emphasis in the allocation of state resources toward the cleanup and reuse of brownfield properties, to provide more flexible funding and oversight authority for local governments guiding the cleanup of brownfield properties, and to modify the state's cleanup program in ways that will accelerate cleanups throughout the state, thus providing near-term job benefits in the cleanup, as well as ongoing economic and environmental benefits through reuse of the cleaned up properties.

Sec. 2   RCW 70.105D.010 and 2002 c 288 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Each person has a fundamental and inalienable right to a healthful environment, and each person has a responsibility to preserve and enhance that right. The beneficial stewardship of the land, air, and waters of the state is a solemn obligation of the present generation for the benefit of future generations.
     (2) A healthful environment is now threatened by the irresponsible use and disposal of hazardous substances. There are hundreds of hazardous waste sites in this state, and more will be created if current waste practices continue. Hazardous waste sites threaten the state's water resources, including those used for public drinking water. Many of our municipal landfills are current or potential hazardous waste sites and present serious threats to human health and environment. The costs of eliminating these threats in many cases are beyond the financial means of our local governments and ratepayers. The main purpose of chapter 2, Laws of 1989 is to raise sufficient funds to clean up all hazardous waste sites and to prevent the creation of future hazards due to improper disposal of toxic wastes into the state's land and waters.
     (3) Many farmers and small business owners who have followed the law with respect to their uses of pesticides and other chemicals nonetheless may face devastating economic consequences because their uses have contaminated the environment or the water supplies of their neighbors. With a source of funds, the state may assist these farmers and business owners, as well as those persons who sustain damages, such as the loss of their drinking water supplies, as a result of the contamination.
     (4) It is in the public's interest to efficiently use our finite land base, to integrate our land use planning policies with our clean-up policies, and to clean up and reuse contaminated industrial and other brownfield properties in order to minimize ((industrial)) development pressures on undeveloped land and to make clean land available for ((future)) economic, environmental, and social ((use)) reuses.
     (5) Because it is often difficult or impossible to allocate responsibility among persons liable for hazardous waste sites and because it is essential that sites be cleaned up well and expeditiously, each responsible person should be liable jointly and severally.
     (6) Because releases of hazardous substances can adversely affect the health and welfare of the public, the environment, and property values, it is in the public interest that affected communities be notified of where releases of hazardous substances have occurred and what is being done to clean them up.

Sec. 3   RCW 70.105D.020 and 2007 c 104 s 18 are each amended to read as follows:
     The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
     (1) "Agreed order" means an order issued by the department under this chapter with which the potentially liable person or prospective purchaser receiving the order agrees to comply. An agreed order may be used to require or approve any cleanup or other remedial actions but it is not a settlement under RCW 70.105D.040(4) and shall not contain a covenant not to sue, or provide protection from claims for contribution, or provide eligibility for public funding of remedial actions under RCW 70.105D.070(2)(((d))) (b) (xi) and (xii).
     (2) "Department" means the department of ecology.
     (3) "Director" means the director of ecology or the director's designee.
     (4) "Environmental covenant" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 64.70.020.
     (5) "Facility" means (a) any building, structure, installation, equipment, pipe or pipeline (including any pipe into a sewer or publicly owned treatment works), well, pit, pond, lagoon, impoundment, ditch, landfill, storage container, motor vehicle, rolling stock, vessel, or aircraft, or (b) any site or area where a hazardous substance, other than a consumer product in consumer use, has been deposited, stored, disposed of, or placed, or otherwise come to be located.
     (6) "Federal cleanup law" means the federal comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act of 1980, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 9601 et seq., as amended by Public Law 99-499.
     (7)(a) "Fiduciary" means a person acting for the benefit of another party as a bona fide trustee; executor; administrator; custodian; guardian of estates or guardian ad litem; receiver; conservator; committee of estates of incapacitated persons; trustee in bankruptcy; trustee, under an indenture agreement, trust agreement, lease, or similar financing agreement, for debt securities, certificates of interest or certificates of participation in debt securities, or other forms of indebtedness as to which the trustee is not, in the capacity of trustee, the lender. Except as provided in subsection (17)(b)(iii) of this section, the liability of a fiduciary under this chapter shall not exceed the assets held in the fiduciary capacity.
     (b) "Fiduciary" does not mean:
     (i) A person acting as a fiduciary with respect to a trust or other fiduciary estate that was organized for the primary purpose of, or is engaged in, actively carrying on a trade or business for profit, unless the trust or other fiduciary estate was created as part of, or to facilitate, one or more estate plans or because of the incapacity of a natural person;
     (ii) A person who acquires ownership or control of a facility with the objective purpose of avoiding liability of the person or any other person. It is prima facie evidence that the fiduciary acquired ownership or control of the facility to avoid liability if the facility is the only substantial asset in the fiduciary estate at the time the facility became subject to the fiduciary estate;
     (iii) A person who acts in a capacity other than that of a fiduciary or in a beneficiary capacity and in that capacity directly or indirectly benefits from a trust or fiduciary relationship;
     (iv) A person who is a beneficiary and fiduciary with respect to the same fiduciary estate, and who while acting as a fiduciary receives benefits that exceed customary or reasonable compensation, and incidental benefits permitted under applicable law;
     (v) A person who is a fiduciary and receives benefits that substantially exceed customary or reasonable compensation, and incidental benefits permitted under applicable law; or
     (vi) A person who acts in the capacity of trustee of state or federal lands or resources.
     (8) "Fiduciary capacity" means the capacity of a person holding title to a facility, or otherwise having control of an interest in the facility pursuant to the exercise of the responsibilities of the person as a fiduciary.
     (9) "Foreclosure and its equivalents" means purchase at a foreclosure sale, acquisition, or assignment of title in lieu of foreclosure, termination of a lease, or other repossession, acquisition of a right to title or possession, an agreement in satisfaction of the obligation, or any other comparable formal or informal manner, whether pursuant to law or under warranties, covenants, conditions, representations, or promises from the borrower, by which the holder acquires title to or possession of a facility securing a loan or other obligation.
     (10) "Hazardous substance" means:
     (a) Any dangerous or extremely hazardous waste as defined in RCW 70.105.010 (((5) and (6))) (1) and (7), or any dangerous or extremely dangerous waste designated by rule pursuant to chapter 70.105 RCW;
     (b) Any hazardous substance as defined in RCW 70.105.010(((14))) (10) or any hazardous substance as defined by rule pursuant to chapter 70.105 RCW;
     (c) Any substance that, on March 1, 1989, is a hazardous substance under section 101(14) of the federal cleanup law, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 9601(14);
     (d) Petroleum or petroleum products; and
     (e) Any substance or category of substances, including solid waste decomposition products, determined by the director by rule to present a threat to human health or the environment if released into the environment.
     The term hazardous substance does not include any of the following when contained in an underground storage tank from which there is not a release: Crude oil or any fraction thereof or petroleum, if the tank is in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local law.
     (11) "Holder" means a person who holds indicia of ownership primarily to protect a security interest. A holder includes the initial holder such as the loan originator, any subsequent holder such as a successor-in-interest or subsequent purchaser of the security interest on the secondary market, a guarantor of an obligation, surety, or any other person who holds indicia of ownership primarily to protect a security interest, or a receiver, court-appointed trustee, or other person who acts on behalf or for the benefit of a holder. A holder can be a public or privately owned financial institution, receiver, conservator, loan guarantor, or other similar persons that loan money or guarantee repayment of a loan. Holders typically are banks or savings and loan institutions but may also include others such as insurance companies, pension funds, or private individuals that engage in loaning of money or credit.
     (12) "Independent remedial actions" means remedial actions conducted without department oversight or approval, and not under an order, agreed order, or consent decree.
     (13) "Indicia of ownership" means evidence of a security interest, evidence of an interest in a security interest, or evidence of an interest in a facility securing a loan or other obligation, including any legal or equitable title to a facility acquired incident to foreclosure and its equivalents. Evidence of such interests includes, mortgages, deeds of trust, sellers interest in a real estate contract, liens, surety bonds, and guarantees of obligations, title held pursuant to a lease financing transaction in which the lessor does not select initially the leased facility, or legal or equitable title obtained pursuant to foreclosure and their equivalents. Evidence of such interests also includes assignments, pledges, or other rights to or other forms of encumbrance against the facility that are held primarily to protect a security interest.
     (14) "Industrial properties" means properties that are or have been characterized by, or are to be committed to, traditional industrial uses such as processing or manufacturing of materials, marine terminal and transportation areas and facilities, fabrication, assembly, treatment, or distribution of manufactured products, or storage of bulk materials, that are either:
     (a) Zoned for industrial use by a city or county conducting land use planning under chapter 36.70A RCW; or
     (b) For counties not planning under chapter 36.70A RCW and the cities within them, zoned for industrial use and adjacent to properties currently used or designated for industrial purposes.
     (15) "Institutional controls" means measures undertaken to limit or prohibit activities that may interfere with the integrity of a remedial action or result in exposure to or migration of hazardous substances at a site. "Institutional controls" include environmental covenants.
     (16) "Operating a facility primarily to protect a security interest" occurs when all of the following are met: (a) Operating the facility where the borrower has defaulted on the loan or otherwise breached the security agreement; (b) operating the facility to preserve the value of the facility as an ongoing business; (c) the operation is being done in anticipation of a sale, transfer, or assignment of the facility; and (d) the operation is being done primarily to protect a security interest. Operating a facility for longer than one year prior to foreclosure or its equivalents shall be presumed to be operating the facility for other than to protect a security interest.
     (17) "Owner or operator" means:
     (a) Any person with any ownership interest in the facility or who exercises any control over the facility; or
     (b) In the case of an abandoned facility, any person who had owned, or operated, or exercised control over the facility any time before its abandonment;
     The term does not include:
     (i) An agency of the state or unit of local government which acquired ownership or control through a drug forfeiture action under RCW 69.50.505, or involuntarily through bankruptcy, tax delinquency, abandonment, or other circumstances in which the government involuntarily acquires title. This exclusion does not apply to an agency of the state or unit of local government which has caused or contributed to the release or threatened release of a hazardous substance from the facility;
     (ii) A person who, without participating in the management of a facility, holds indicia of ownership primarily to protect the person's security interest in the facility. Holders after foreclosure and its equivalent and holders who engage in any of the activities identified in subsection (18)(e) through (g) of this section shall not lose this exemption provided the holder complies with all of the following:
     (A) The holder properly maintains the environmental compliance measures already in place at the facility;
     (B) The holder complies with the reporting requirements in the rules adopted under this chapter;
     (C) The holder complies with any order issued to the holder by the department to abate an imminent or substantial endangerment;
     (D) The holder allows the department or potentially liable persons under an order, agreed order, or settlement agreement under this chapter access to the facility to conduct remedial actions and does not impede the conduct of such remedial actions;
     (E) Any remedial actions conducted by the holder are in compliance with any preexisting requirements identified by the department, or, if the department has not identified such requirements for the facility, the remedial actions are conducted consistent with the rules adopted under this chapter; and
     (F) The holder does not exacerbate an existing release. The exemption in this subsection (17)(b)(ii) does not apply to holders who cause or contribute to a new release or threatened release or who are otherwise liable under RCW 70.105D.040(1) (b), (c), (d), and (e); provided, however, that a holder shall not lose this exemption if it establishes that any such new release has been remediated according to the requirements of this chapter and that any hazardous substances remaining at the facility after remediation of the new release are divisible from such new release;
     (iii) A fiduciary in his, her, or its personal or individual capacity. This exemption does not preclude a claim against the assets of the estate or trust administered by the fiduciary or against a nonemployee agent or independent contractor retained by a fiduciary. This exemption also does not apply to the extent that a person is liable under this chapter independently of the person's ownership as a fiduciary or for actions taken in a fiduciary capacity which cause or contribute to a new release or exacerbate an existing release of hazardous substances. This exemption applies provided that, to the extent of the fiduciary's powers granted by law or by the applicable governing instrument granting fiduciary powers, the fiduciary complies with all of the following:
     (A) The fiduciary properly maintains the environmental compliance measures already in place at the facility;
     (B) The fiduciary complies with the reporting requirements in the rules adopted under this chapter;
     (C) The fiduciary complies with any order issued to the fiduciary by the department to abate an imminent or substantial endangerment;
     (D) The fiduciary allows the department or potentially liable persons under an order, agreed order, or settlement agreement under this chapter access to the facility to conduct remedial actions and does not impede the conduct of such remedial actions;
     (E) Any remedial actions conducted by the fiduciary are in compliance with any preexisting requirements identified by the department, or, if the department has not identified such requirements for the facility, the remedial actions are conducted consistent with the rules adopted under this chapter; and
     (F) The fiduciary does not exacerbate an existing release.
     The exemption in this subsection (17)(b)(iii) does not apply to fiduciaries who cause or contribute to a new release or threatened release or who are otherwise liable under RCW 70.105D.040(1) (b), (c), (d), and (e); provided however, that a fiduciary shall not lose this exemption if it establishes that any such new release has been remediated according to the requirements of this chapter and that any hazardous substances remaining at the facility after remediation of the new release are divisible from such new release. The exemption in this subsection (17)(b)(iii) also does not apply where the fiduciary's powers to comply with this subsection (17)(b)(iii) are limited by a governing instrument created with the objective purpose of avoiding liability under this chapter or of avoiding compliance with this chapter; or
     (iv) Any person who has any ownership interest in, operates, or exercises control over real property where a hazardous substance has come to be located solely as a result of migration of the hazardous substance to the real property through the groundwater from a source off the property, if:
     (A) The person can demonstrate that the hazardous substance has not been used, placed, managed, or otherwise handled on the property in a manner likely to cause or contribute to a release of the hazardous substance that has migrated onto the property;
     (B) The person has not caused or contributed to the release of the hazardous substance;
     (C) The person does not engage in activities that damage or interfere with the operation of remedial actions installed on the person's property or engage in activities that result in exposure of humans or the environment to the contaminated groundwater that has migrated onto the property;
     (D) If requested, the person allows the department, potentially liable persons who are subject to an order, agreed order, or consent decree, and the authorized employees, agents, or contractors of each, access to the property to conduct remedial actions required by the department. The person may attempt to negotiate an access agreement before allowing access; and
     (E) Legal withdrawal of groundwater does not disqualify a person from the exemption in this subsection (17)(b)(iv).
     (18) "Participation in management" means exercising decision-making control over the borrower's operation of the facility, environmental compliance, or assuming or manifesting responsibility for the overall management of the enterprise encompassing the day-to-day decision making of the enterprise.
     The term does not include any of the following: (a) A holder with the mere capacity or ability to influence, or the unexercised right to control facility operations; (b) a holder who conducts or requires a borrower to conduct an environmental audit or an environmental site assessment at the facility for which indicia of ownership is held; (c) a holder who requires a borrower to come into compliance with any applicable laws or regulations at the facility for which indicia of ownership is held; (d) a holder who requires a borrower to conduct remedial actions including setting minimum requirements, but does not otherwise control or manage the borrower's remedial actions or the scope of the borrower's remedial actions except to prepare a facility for sale, transfer, or assignment; (e) a holder who engages in workout or policing activities primarily to protect the holder's security interest in the facility; (f) a holder who prepares a facility for sale, transfer, or assignment or requires a borrower to prepare a facility for sale, transfer, or assignment; (g) a holder who operates a facility primarily to protect a security interest, or requires a borrower to continue to operate, a facility primarily to protect a security interest; and (h) a prospective holder who, as a condition of becoming a holder, requires an owner or operator to conduct an environmental audit, conduct an environmental site assessment, come into compliance with any applicable laws or regulations, or conduct remedial actions prior to holding a security interest is not participating in the management of the facility.
     (19) "Person" means an individual, firm, corporation, association, partnership, consortium, joint venture, commercial entity, state government agency, unit of local government, federal government agency, or Indian tribe.
     (20) "Policing activities" means actions the holder takes to ensure that the borrower complies with the terms of the loan or security interest or actions the holder takes or requires the borrower to take to maintain the value of the security. Policing activities include: Requiring the borrower to conduct remedial actions at the facility during the term of the security interest; requiring the borrower to comply or come into compliance with applicable federal, state, and local environmental and other laws, regulations, and permits during the term of the security interest; securing or exercising authority to monitor or inspect the facility including on-site inspections, or to monitor or inspect the borrower's business or financial condition during the term of the security interest; or taking other actions necessary to adequately police the loan or security interest such as requiring a borrower to comply with any warranties, covenants, conditions, representations, or promises from the borrower.
     (21) "Potentially liable person" means any person whom the department finds, based on credible evidence, to be liable under RCW 70.105D.040. The department shall give notice to any such person and allow an opportunity for comment before making the finding, unless an emergency requires otherwise.
     (22) "Prepare a facility for sale, transfer, or assignment" means to secure access to the facility; perform routine maintenance on the facility; remove inventory, equipment, or structures; properly maintain environmental compliance measures already in place at the facility; conduct remedial actions to clean up releases at the facility; or to perform other similar activities intended to preserve the value of the facility where the borrower has defaulted on the loan or otherwise breached the security agreement or after foreclosure and its equivalents and in anticipation of a pending sale, transfer, or assignment, primarily to protect the holder's security interest in the facility. A holder can prepare a facility for sale, transfer, or assignment for up to one year prior to foreclosure and its equivalents and still stay within the security interest exemption in subsection (17)(b)(ii) of this section.
     (23) "Primarily to protect a security interest" means the indicia of ownership is held primarily for the purpose of securing payment or performance of an obligation. The term does not include indicia of ownership held primarily for investment purposes nor indicia of ownership held primarily for purposes other than as protection for a security interest. A holder may have other, secondary reasons, for maintaining indicia of ownership, but the primary reason must be for protection of a security interest. Holding indicia of ownership after foreclosure or its equivalents for longer than five years shall be considered to be holding the indicia of ownership for purposes other than primarily to protect a security interest. For facilities that have been acquired through foreclosure or its equivalents prior to July 23, 1995, this five-year period shall begin as of July 23, 1995.
     (24) "Public notice" means, at a minimum, adequate notice mailed to all persons who have made timely request of the department and to persons residing in the potentially affected vicinity of the proposed action; mailed to appropriate news media; published in the newspaper of largest circulation in the city or county of the proposed action; and opportunity for interested persons to comment.
     (25) "Release" means any intentional or unintentional entry of any hazardous substance into the environment, including but not limited to the abandonment or disposal of containers of hazardous substances.
     (26) "Remedy" or "remedial action" means any action or expenditure consistent with the purposes of this chapter to identify, eliminate, or minimize any threat or potential threat posed by hazardous substances to human health or the environment including any investigative and monitoring activities with respect to any release or threatened release of a hazardous substance and any health assessments or health effects studies conducted in order to determine the risk or potential risk to human health.
     (27) "Security interest" means an interest in a facility created or established for the purpose of securing a loan or other obligation. Security interests include deeds of trusts, sellers interest in a real estate contract, liens, legal, or equitable title to a facility acquired incident to foreclosure and its equivalents, and title pursuant to lease financing transactions. Security interests may also arise from transactions such as sale and leasebacks, conditional sales, installment sales, trust receipt transactions, certain assignments, factoring agreements, accounts receivable financing arrangements, easements, and consignments, if the transaction creates or establishes an interest in a facility for the purpose of securing a loan or other obligation.
     (28) "Workout activities" means those actions by which a holder, at any time prior to foreclosure and its equivalents, seeks to prevent, cure, or mitigate a default by the borrower or obligor; or to preserve, or prevent the diminution of, the value of the security. Workout activities include: Restructuring or renegotiating the terms of the security interest; requiring payment of additional rent or interest; exercising forbearance; requiring or exercising rights pursuant to an assignment of accounts or other amounts owed to an obligor; requiring or exercising rights pursuant to an escrow agreement pertaining to amounts owed to an obligor; providing specific or general financial or other advice, suggestions, counseling, or guidance; and exercising any right or remedy the holder is entitled to by law or under any warranties, covenants, conditions, representations, or promises from the borrower.
     (29) "Areawide groundwater contamination" means groundwater contamination on multiple adjacent properties with different ownerships consisting of hazardous substances from multiple sources that have resulted in commingled plumes of contaminated groundwater that are not practicable to address separately.
     (30) "Brownfield property" means previously developed and currently abandoned or underutilized real property and adjacent surface waters and sediment where environmental, economic, or community reuse objectives are hindered by the release or threatened release of hazardous substances that the department has determined requires remedial action under this chapter or that the United States environmental protection agency has determined requires remedial action under the comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act.
     (31) "City" means a city or town.
     (32) "Local government" means any political subdivision of the state, including a town, city, county, special purpose district, or other municipal corporation, including brownfield renewal authority created under section 6 of this act.
     (33) "Prospective purchaser" means a person who is not currently liable for remedial action at a facility and who proposes to purchase, redevelop, or reuse the facility.
     (34) "Redevelopment opportunity zone" means a geographic area designated under section 5 of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   A new section is added to chapter 70.105D RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The brownfield redevelopment trust fund account is created in the state treasury. All receipts from the sources identified in subsection (2) of this section may be deposited into the account. Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation. Expenditures from the account may be used only as identified in subsection (4) of this section.
     (2) The following receipts must be deposited into the brownfield redevelopment trust fund account:
     (a) Moneys appropriated by the legislature to the account for a specific redevelopment opportunity zone established under section 5 of this act or a specific brownfield renewal authority established under section 6 of this act;
     (b) Moneys voluntarily deposited in the account for a specific redevelopment opportunity zone or a specific brownfield renewal authority; and
     (c) Receipts from settlements or court orders that direct payment to the account for a specific redevelopment opportunity zone to resolve a person's liability or potential liability under this chapter.
     (3) If a settlement or court order does not direct payment of receipts described in subsection (2)(c) of this section into the brownfield redevelopment trust fund account, then the receipts from any payment to the state must be deposited into the state toxics control account established under RCW 70.105D.070.
     (4) Expenditures from the brownfield redevelopment trust fund account may only be used for the purposes of remediation and cleanup at the specific redevelopment opportunity zone or specific brownfield renewal authority for which the moneys were deposited in the account.
     (5) The department shall track moneys received, interest earned, and moneys expended separately for each facility.
     (6) The account must retain its interest earnings in accordance with RCW 43.84.092.
     (7) The local government designating the redevelopment opportunity zone under section 5 of this act or the associated brownfield renewal authority created under section 6 of this act must be the beneficiary of the deposited moneys.
     (8) All expenditures must be used to conduct remediation and cleanup consistent with a plan for the remediation and cleanup of the properties or facilities approved by the department under this chapter. All expenditures must meet the eligibility requirements for the use by local governments under the rules for remedial action grants adopted by the department under this chapter, including requirements for the expenditure of nonstate match funding.
     (9) Beginning October 31, 2012, the department must provide a biennial report to the office of financial management and the legislature regarding the activity for each specific redevelopment opportunity zone or specific brownfield renewal authority for which specific legislative appropriation was provided in the previous two fiscal years.
     (10) After the department determines that all remedial actions within the redevelopment opportunity zone identified in the plan approved under subsection (8) of this section are completed, including payment of all cost reasonably attributable to the remedial actions and cleanup, any remaining moneys must be transferred to the state toxics control account established under RCW 70.105D.070.
     (11) If the department determines that substantial progress has not been made on the plan approved under subsection (8) of this section for a redevelopment opportunity zone or specific brownfield renewal authority for which moneys were deposited in the account within six years, or that the brownfield renewal authority is no longer a viable entity, then all remaining moneys must be transferred to the state toxics control account established under RCW 70.105D.070.
     (12) The department is authorized to adopt rules to implement this section.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   A new section is added to chapter 70.105D RCW to read as follows:
     (1) A city or county may designate a geographic area within its jurisdiction as a redevelopment opportunity zone if the zone meets the criteria in this subsection and the city or county adopts a resolution that includes the following determinations and commitments:
     (a) At least fifty percent of the upland properties in the zone are brownfield properties whether or not the properties are contiguous;
     (b) The upland portions of the zone are comprised entirely of parcels of property either owned by the city or county or whose owner has provided consent in writing to have their property included within the zone;
     (c) The cleanup of those properties will be integrated with planning for the future uses of the properties and is consistent with the comprehensive land use plan for the zone; and
     (d) The proposed properties lie within the incorporated area of a city or within an urban growth area designated under RCW 36.70A.110.
     (2) A port district may designate a redevelopment opportunity zone when:
     (a) The port district adopts a resolution that includes the determinations and commitments required under subsection (1)(a), (c), and (d) of this section;
     (b) The zone meets the criteria in subsection (1)(a), (c), and (d) of this section; and
     (c) The port district either:
     (i) Owns in fee all of the upland properties within the zone; or
     (ii) Owns in fee at least fifty percent of the upland property in the zone, the owners of other parcels of property in the zone have provided consent in writing to have their property included in the zone, and the governing body of the city and county in which the zone lies approves of the designation by resolution.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   A new section is added to chapter 70.105D RCW to read as follows:
     (1) A city, county, or port district may establish by resolution a brownfield renewal authority for the purpose of guiding and implementing the cleanup and reuse of properties within a designated redevelopment opportunity zone. Any combination of cities, counties, and port districts may establish a brownfield renewal authority through an interlocal agreement under chapter 39.34 RCW, and the brownfield renewal authority may exercise those powers as are authorized under chapter 39.34 RCW and under this chapter.
     (2) A brownfield renewal authority must be governed by a board of directors selected as determined by the resolution or interlocal agreement establishing the authority.
     (3) A brownfield renewal authority must be a separate legal entity and be deemed a municipal corporation. It has the power to: Sue and be sued; receive, account for, and disburse funds; employ personnel; and acquire or dispose of any interest in real or personal property within a redevelopment opportunity zone in the furtherance of the authority purposes. A brownfield renewal authority has the power to contract indebtedness and to issue and sell general obligation bonds pursuant to and in the manner provided for general county bonds in chapters 36.67 and 39.46 RCW and other applicable statutes, and to issue revenue bonds pursuant to and in the manner provided for revenue bonds in chapter 36.67 RCW and other applicable statutes.
     (4) If the department determines that substantial progress has not been made on the plan approved under section 4 of this act by the brownfield renewal authority within six years of a city, county, or port district establishing a brownfield renewal authority, the department may require dissolution of the brownfield renewal authority. Upon dissolution of the brownfield renewal authority, except as provided in section 5 of this act, all assets and liabilities transfer to the city, town, or port district establishing the brownfield renewal authority.

Sec. 7   RCW 70.105D.030 and 2009 c 560 s 10 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The department may exercise the following powers in addition to any other powers granted by law:
     (a) Investigate, provide for investigating, or require potentially liable persons to investigate any releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances, including but not limited to inspecting, sampling, or testing to determine the nature or extent of any release or threatened release. If there is a reasonable basis to believe that a release or threatened release of a hazardous substance may exist, the department's authorized employees, agents, or contractors may enter upon any property and conduct investigations. The department shall give reasonable notice before entering property unless an emergency prevents such notice. The department may by subpoena require the attendance or testimony of witnesses and the production of documents or other information that the department deems necessary;
     (b) Conduct, provide for conducting, or require potentially liable persons to conduct remedial actions (including investigations under (a) of this subsection) to remedy releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances. In carrying out such powers, the department's authorized employees, agents, or contractors may enter upon property. The department shall give reasonable notice before entering property unless an emergency prevents such notice. In conducting, providing for, or requiring remedial action, the department shall give preference to permanent solutions to the maximum extent practicable and shall provide for or require adequate monitoring to ensure the effectiveness of the remedial action;
     (c) Indemnify contractors retained by the department for carrying out investigations and remedial actions, but not for any contractor's reckless or willful misconduct;
     (d) Carry out all state programs authorized under the federal cleanup law and the federal resource, conservation, and recovery act, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 6901 et seq., as amended;
     (e) Classify substances as hazardous substances for purposes of RCW 70.105D.020 and classify substances and products as hazardous substances for purposes of RCW 82.21.020(1);
     (f) Issue orders or enter into consent decrees or agreed orders that include, or issue written opinions under (i) of this subsection that may be conditioned upon, environmental covenants where necessary to protect human health and the environment from a release or threatened release of a hazardous substance from a facility. Prior to establishing an environmental covenant under this subsection, the department shall consult with and seek comment from a city or county department with land use planning authority for real property subject to the environmental covenant;
     (g) Enforce the application of permanent and effective institutional controls that are necessary for a remedial action to be protective of human health and the environment and the notification requirements established in RCW 70.105D.110, and impose penalties for violations of that section consistent with RCW 70.105D.050;
     (h) Require holders to conduct remedial actions necessary to abate an imminent or substantial endangerment pursuant to RCW 70.105D.020(17)(b)(ii)(C);
     (i) Provide informal advice and assistance to persons regarding the administrative and technical requirements of this chapter. This may include site-specific advice to persons who are conducting or otherwise interested in independent remedial actions. Any such advice or assistance shall be advisory only, and shall not be binding on the department. As a part of providing this advice and assistance for independent remedial actions, the department may prepare written opinions regarding whether the independent remedial actions or proposals for those actions meet the substantive requirements of this chapter or whether the department believes further remedial action is necessary at the facility. Nothing in this chapter may be construed to preclude the department from issuing a written opinion on whether further remedial action is necessary at any portion of the real property located within a facility, even if further remedial action is still necessary elsewhere at the same facility. Such a written opinion on a portion of a facility must also provide an opinion on the status of the facility as a whole. The department may collect, from persons requesting advice and assistance, the costs incurred by the department in providing such advice and assistance; however, the department shall, where appropriate, waive collection of costs in order to provide an appropriate level of technical assistance in support of public participation. The state, the department, and officers and employees of the state are immune from all liability, and no cause of action of any nature may arise from any act or omission in providing, or failing to provide, informal advice and assistance. The department must track the number of requests for reviews of planned or completed independent remedial actions and establish performance measures to track how quickly the department is able to respond to those requests. By November 1, 2012, the department must submit to the governor and the appropriate legislative fiscal and policy committees a report on achieving the performance measures and provide recommendations for improving performance, including staffing needs; ((and))
     (j) In fulfilling the objectives of this chapter, the department shall allocate staffing and financial assistance in a manner that considers both the reduction of human and environmental risks and the land reuse potential and planning for the facilities to be cleaned up. This does not preclude the department from allocating resources to a facility based solely on human or environmental risks; and
     (k)
Take any other actions necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter, including the power to adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW.
     (2) The department shall immediately implement all provisions of this chapter to the maximum extent practicable, including investigative and remedial actions where appropriate. The department shall adopt, and thereafter enforce, rules under chapter 34.05 RCW to:
     (a) Provide for public participation, including at least (i) public notice of the development of investigative plans or remedial plans for releases or threatened releases and (ii) concurrent public notice of all compliance orders, agreed orders, enforcement orders, or notices of violation;
     (b) Establish a hazard ranking system for hazardous waste sites;
     (c) Provide for requiring the reporting by an owner or operator of releases of hazardous substances to the environment that may be a threat to human health or the environment within ninety days of discovery, including such exemptions from reporting as the department deems appropriate, however this requirement shall not modify any existing requirements provided for under other laws;
     (d) Establish reasonable deadlines not to exceed ninety days for initiating an investigation of a hazardous waste site after the department receives notice or otherwise receives information that the site may pose a threat to human health or the environment and other reasonable deadlines for remedying releases or threatened releases at the site;
     (e) Publish and periodically update minimum cleanup standards for remedial actions at least as stringent as the cleanup standards under section 121 of the federal cleanup law, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 9621, and at least as stringent as all applicable state and federal laws, including health-based standards under state and federal law; and
     (f) Apply industrial clean-up standards at industrial properties. Rules adopted under this subsection shall ensure that industrial properties cleaned up to industrial standards cannot be converted to nonindustrial uses without approval from the department. The department may require that a property cleaned up to industrial standards is cleaned up to a more stringent applicable standard as a condition of conversion to a nonindustrial use. Industrial clean-up standards may not be applied to industrial properties where hazardous substances remaining at the property after remedial action pose a threat to human health or the environment in adjacent nonindustrial areas.
     (3) To achieve and protect the state's long-term ecological health, the department shall prioritize sufficient funding to clean up hazardous waste sites and prevent the creation of future hazards due to improper disposal of toxic wastes, and create financing tools to clean up large-scale hazardous waste sites requiring multiyear commitments. To effectively monitor toxic accounts expenditures, the department shall develop a comprehensive ten-year financing report that identifies long-term remedial action project costs, tracks expenses, and projects future needs.
     (4) Before December 20th of each even-numbered year, the department shall:
     (a) Develop a comprehensive ten-year financing report in coordination with all local governments with clean-up responsibilities that identifies the projected biennial hazardous waste site remedial action needs that are eligible for funding from the local toxics control account;
     (b) Work with local governments to develop working capital reserves to be incorporated in the ten-year financing report;
     (c) Identify the projected remedial action needs for orphaned, abandoned, and other clean-up sites that are eligible for funding from the state toxics control account;
     (d) Project the remedial action need, cost, revenue, and any recommended working capital reserve estimate to the next biennium's long-term remedial action needs from both the local toxics control account and the state toxics control account, and submit this information to the appropriate standing fiscal and environmental committees of the senate and house of representatives. This submittal must also include a ranked list of such remedial action projects for both accounts; and
     (e) Provide the legislature and the public each year with an accounting of the department's activities supported by appropriations from the state and local toxics control accounts, including a list of known hazardous waste sites and their hazard rankings, actions taken and planned at each site, how the department is meeting its waste management priorities under RCW 70.105.150, and all funds expended under this chapter.
     (5) The department shall establish a program to identify potential hazardous waste sites and to encourage persons to provide information about hazardous waste sites.
     (6) For all facilities where an environmental covenant has been required under subsection (1)(f) of this section, including all facilities where the department has required an environmental covenant under an order, agreed order, or consent decree, or as a condition of a written opinion issued under the authority of subsection (1)(i) of this section, the department shall periodically review the environmental covenant for effectiveness. Except as otherwise provided in (c) of this subsection, the department shall conduct a review at least once every five years after an environmental covenant is recorded.
     (a) The review shall consist of, at a minimum:
     (i) A review of the title of the real property subject to the environmental covenant to determine whether the environmental covenant was properly recorded and, if applicable, amended or terminated;
     (ii) A physical inspection of the real property subject to the environmental covenant to determine compliance with the environmental covenant, including whether any development or redevelopment of the real property has violated the terms of the environmental covenant; and
     (iii) A review of the effectiveness of the environmental covenant in limiting or prohibiting activities that may interfere with the integrity of the remedial action or that may result in exposure to or migration of hazardous substances. This shall include a review of available monitoring data.
     (b) If an environmental covenant has been amended or terminated without proper authority, or if the terms of an environmental covenant have been violated, or if the environmental covenant is no longer effective in limiting or prohibiting activities that may interfere with the integrity of the remedial action or that may result in exposure to or migration of hazardous substances, then the department shall take any and all appropriate actions necessary to ensure compliance with the environmental covenant and the policies and requirements of this chapter.
     (c) For facilities where an environmental covenant required by the department under subsection (1)(f) of this section was required before July 1, 2007, the department shall:
     (i) Enter all required information about the environmental covenant into the registry established under RCW 64.70.120 by June 30, 2008;
     (ii) For those facilities where more than five years has elapsed since the environmental covenant was required and the department has yet to conduct a review, conduct an initial review according to the following schedule:
     (A) By December 30, 2008, fifty facilities;
     (B) By June 30, 2009, fifty additional facilities; and
     (C) By June 30, 2010, the remainder of the facilities;
     (iii) Once this initial review has been completed, conduct subsequent reviews at least once every five years.

Sec. 8   RCW 70.105D.040 and 1997 c 406 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, the following persons are liable with respect to a facility:
     (a) The owner or operator of the facility;
     (b) Any person who owned or operated the facility at the time of disposal or release of the hazardous substances;
     (c) Any person who owned or possessed a hazardous substance and who by contract, agreement, or otherwise arranged for disposal or treatment of the hazardous substance at the facility, or arranged with a transporter for transport for disposal or treatment of the hazardous substances at the facility, or otherwise generated hazardous wastes disposed of or treated at the facility;
     (d) Any person (i) who accepts or accepted any hazardous substance for transport to a disposal, treatment, or other facility selected by such person from which there is a release or a threatened release for which remedial action is required, unless such facility, at the time of disposal or treatment, could legally receive such substance; or (ii) who accepts a hazardous substance for transport to such a facility and has reasonable grounds to believe that such facility is not operated in accordance with chapter 70.105 RCW; and
     (e) Any person who both sells a hazardous substance and is responsible for written instructions for its use if (i) the substance is used according to the instructions and (ii) the use constitutes a release for which remedial action is required at the facility.
     (2) Each person who is liable under this section is strictly liable, jointly and severally, for all remedial action costs and for all natural resource damages resulting from the releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances. The attorney general, at the request of the department, is empowered to recover all costs and damages from persons liable therefor.
     (3) The following persons are not liable under this section:
     (a) Any person who can establish that the release or threatened release of a hazardous substance for which the person would be otherwise responsible was caused solely by:
     (i) An act of God;
     (ii) An act of war; or
     (iii) An act or omission of a third party (including but not limited to a trespasser) other than (A) an employee or agent of the person asserting the defense, or (B) any person whose act or omission occurs in connection with a contractual relationship existing, directly or indirectly, with the person asserting this defense to liability. This defense only applies where the person asserting the defense has exercised the utmost care with respect to the hazardous substance, the foreseeable acts or omissions of the third party, and the foreseeable consequences of those acts or omissions;
     (b) Any person who is an owner, past owner, or purchaser of a facility and who can establish by a preponderance of the evidence that at the time the facility was acquired by the person, the person had no knowledge or reason to know that any hazardous substance, the release or threatened release of which has resulted in or contributed to the need for the remedial action, was released or disposed of on, in, or at the facility. This subsection (3)(b) is limited as follows:
     (i) To establish that a person had no reason to know, the person must have undertaken, at the time of acquisition, all appropriate inquiry into the previous ownership and uses of the property, consistent with good commercial or customary practice in an effort to minimize liability. Any court interpreting this subsection (3)(b) shall take into account any specialized knowledge or experience on the part of the person, the relationship of the purchase price to the value of the property if uncontaminated, commonly known or reasonably ascertainable information about the property, the obviousness of the presence or likely presence of contamination at the property, and the ability to detect such contamination by appropriate inspection;
     (ii) The defense contained in this subsection (3)(b) is not available to any person who had actual knowledge of the release or threatened release of a hazardous substance when the person owned the real property and who subsequently transferred ownership of the property without first disclosing such knowledge to the transferee;
     (iii) The defense contained in this subsection (3)(b) is not available to any person who, by any act or omission, caused or contributed to the release or threatened release of a hazardous substance at the facility;
     (c) Any natural person who uses a hazardous substance lawfully and without negligence for any personal or domestic purpose in or near a dwelling or accessory structure when that person is: (i) A resident of the dwelling; (ii) a person who, without compensation, assists the resident in the use of the substance; or (iii) a person who is employed by the resident, but who is not an independent contractor;
     (d) Any person who, for the purpose of growing food crops, applies pesticides or fertilizers without negligence and in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.
     (4) There may be no settlement by the state with any person potentially liable under this chapter except in accordance with this section.
     (a) The attorney general may agree to a settlement with any potentially liable person only if the department finds, after public notice and any required hearing, that the proposed settlement would lead to a more expeditious cleanup of hazardous substances in compliance with clean-up standards under RCW 70.105D.030(2)(e) and with any remedial orders issued by the department. Whenever practicable and in the public interest, the attorney general may expedite such a settlement with persons whose contribution is insignificant in amount and toxicity. A hearing shall be required only if at least ten persons request one or if the department determines a hearing is necessary.
     (b) A settlement agreement under this section shall be entered as a consent decree issued by a court of competent jurisdiction.
     (c) A settlement agreement may contain a covenant not to sue only of a scope commensurate with the settlement agreement in favor of any person with whom the attorney general has settled under this section. Any covenant not to sue shall contain a reopener clause which requires the court to amend the covenant not to sue if factors not known at the time of entry of the settlement agreement are discovered and present a previously unknown threat to human health or the environment.
     (d) A party who has resolved its liability to the state under this section shall not be liable for claims for contribution regarding matters addressed in the settlement. The settlement does not discharge any of the other liable parties but it reduces the total potential liability of the others to the state by the amount of the settlement.
     (e) If the state has entered into a consent decree with an owner or operator under this section, the state shall not enforce this chapter against any owner or operator who is a successor in interest to the settling party unless under the terms of the consent decree the state could enforce against the settling party, if:
     (i) The successor owner or operator is liable with respect to the facility solely due to that person's ownership interest or operator status acquired as a successor in interest to the owner or operator with whom the state has entered into a consent decree; and
     (ii) The stay of enforcement under this subsection does not apply if the consent decree was based on circumstances unique to the settling party that do not exist with regard to the successor in interest, such as financial hardship. For consent decrees entered into before July 27, 1997, at the request of a settling party or a potential successor owner or operator, the attorney general shall issue a written opinion on whether a consent decree contains such unique circumstances. For all other consent decrees, such unique circumstances shall be specified in the consent decree.
     (f) Any person who is not subject to enforcement by the state under (e) of this subsection is not liable for claims for contribution regarding matters addressed in the settlement.
     (5)(a) In addition to the settlement authority provided under subsection (4) of this section, the attorney general may agree to a settlement with a ((person not currently liable for remedial action at a facility who proposes to purchase, redevelop, or reuse the facility)) prospective purchaser, provided that:
     (i) The settlement will yield substantial new resources to facilitate cleanup;
     (ii) The settlement will expedite remedial action at the facility consistent with the rules adopted under this chapter; and
     (iii) Based on available information, the department determines that the redevelopment or reuse of the facility is not likely to contribute to the existing release or threatened release, interfere with remedial actions that may be needed at the ((site)) facility, or increase health risks to persons at or in the vicinity of the ((site)) facility.
     (b) The legislature recognizes that the state does not have adequate resources to participate in all property transactions involving contaminated property. The primary purpose of this subsection (5) is to promote the cleanup and reuse of ((vacant or abandoned commercial or industrial contaminated)) brownfield property. The attorney general and the department may give priority to settlements that will provide a substantial public benefit((, including, but not limited to the reuse of a vacant or abandoned manufacturing or industrial facility, or the development of a facility by a governmental entity to address an important public purpose)) in addition to cleanup such as:
     (i) Public access to an area not otherwise accessible to the public;
     (ii) New or improved public recreational activities;
     (iii) Enhancement of a natural resource habitat that would not otherwise occur; or
     (iv) Preservation of a historic property listed pursuant to chapter 84.26 RCW.
     (c) A settlement entered under this subsection is governed by subsection (4) of this section
.
     (6) As an alternative to a settlement under subsection (5) of this section, the department may enter into an agreed order with a prospective purchaser of a property within a designated redevelopment opportunity zone. The agreed order is subject to the limitations in RCW 70.105D.020(1), but stays enforcement by the department under this chapter regarding remedial actions required by the agreed order as long as the prospective purchaser complies with the requirements of the agreed order.
     (7)
Nothing in this chapter affects or modifies in any way any person's right to seek or obtain relief under other statutes or under common law, including but not limited to damages for injury or loss resulting from a release or threatened release of a hazardous substance. No settlement by the department or remedial action ordered by a court or the department affects any person's right to obtain a remedy under common law or other statutes.

Sec. 9   RCW 70.105D.050 and 2005 c 211 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) With respect to any release, or threatened release, for which the department does not conduct or contract for conducting remedial action and for which the department believes remedial action is in the public interest, the director shall issue orders or agreed orders requiring potentially liable persons to provide the remedial action. Any liable person, or prospective purchaser who has entered into an agreed order under RCW 70.105D.040(6), who refuses, without sufficient cause, to comply with an order or agreed order of the director is liable in an action brought by the attorney general for:
     (a) Up to three times the amount of any costs incurred by the state as a result of the party's refusal to comply; and
     (b) A civil penalty of up to twenty-five thousand dollars for each day the party refuses to comply.
The treble damages and civil penalty under this subsection apply to all recovery actions filed on or after March 1, 1989.
     (2) Any person who incurs costs complying with an order issued under subsection (1) of this section may petition the department for reimbursement of those costs. If the department refuses to grant reimbursement, the person may within thirty days thereafter file suit and recover costs by proving that he or she was not a liable person under RCW 70.105D.040 and that the costs incurred were reasonable.
     (3) The attorney general shall seek, by filing an action if necessary, to recover the amounts spent by the department for investigative and remedial actions and orders, and agreed orders, including amounts spent prior to March 1, 1989.
     (4) The attorney general may bring an action to secure such relief as is necessary to protect human health and the environment under this chapter.
     (5)(a) Any person may commence a civil action to compel the department to perform any nondiscretionary duty under this chapter. At least thirty days before commencing the action, the person must give notice of intent to sue, unless a substantial endangerment exists. The court may award attorneys' fees and other costs to the prevailing party in the action.
     (b) Civil actions under this section and RCW 70.105D.060 may be brought in the superior court of Thurston county or of the county in which the release or threatened release exists.
     (6) Any person who fails to provide notification of releases consistent with RCW 70.105D.110 or who submits false information is liable in an action brought by the attorney general for a civil penalty of up to five thousand dollars per day for each day the party refuses to comply.
     (7) Any person who owns real property or lender holding a mortgage on real property that is subject to a lien filed under RCW 70.105D.055 may petition the department to have the lien removed or the amount of the lien reduced. If, after consideration of the petition and the information supporting the petition, the department decides to deny the request, the person may, within ninety days after receipt of the department's denial, file suit for removal or reduction of the lien. The person is entitled to removal of a lien filed under RCW 70.105D.055(2)(a) if they can prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the person is not a liable party under RCW 70.105D.040. The person is entitled to a reduction of the amount of the lien if they can prove by a preponderance of the evidence:
     (a) For liens filed under RCW 70.105D.055(2)(a), the amount of the lien exceeds the remedial action costs the department incurred related to cleanup of the real property; and
     (b) For liens filed under RCW 70.105D.055(2)(c), the amount of the lien exceeds the remedial action costs the department incurred related to cleanup of the real property or exceeds the increase of the fair market value of the real property solely attributable to the remedial action conducted by the department.

Sec. 10   RCW 70.105D.070 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 50 s 964 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     (1) The state toxics control account and the local toxics control account are hereby created in the state treasury.
     (2)(a) The following moneys shall be deposited into the state toxics control account:
     (((a))) (i) Those revenues which are raised by the tax imposed under RCW 82.21.030 and which are attributable to that portion of the rate equal to thirty-three one-hundredths of one percent;
     (((b))) (ii) The costs of remedial actions recovered under this chapter or chapter 70.105A RCW;
     (((c))) (iii) Penalties collected or recovered under this chapter; and
     (((d))) (iv) Any other money appropriated or transferred to the account by the legislature.
     (b) Moneys in the account may be used only to carry out the purposes of this chapter, including but not limited to the following activities:
     (i) The state's responsibility for hazardous waste planning, management, regulation, enforcement, technical assistance, and public education required under chapter 70.105 RCW;
     (ii) The state's responsibility for solid waste planning, management, regulation, enforcement, technical assistance, and public education required under chapter 70.95 RCW;
     (iii) The hazardous waste cleanup program required under this chapter;
     (iv) State matching funds required under the federal cleanup law;
     (v) Financial assistance for local programs in accordance with chapters 70.95, 70.95C, 70.95I, and 70.105 RCW;
     (vi) State government programs for the safe reduction, recycling, or disposal of hazardous wastes from households, small businesses, and agriculture;
     (vii) Hazardous materials emergency response training;
     (viii) Water and environmental health protection and monitoring programs;
     (ix) Programs authorized under chapter 70.146 RCW;
     (x) A public participation program, including regional citizen advisory committees;
     (xi) Public funding to assist potentially liable persons to pay for the costs of remedial action in compliance with clean-up standards under RCW 70.105D.030(2)(e) but only when:
     (A) T
he amount and terms of such funding are established under a settlement agreement under RCW 70.105D.040(4); and ((when))
     (B) The director has found that the funding will achieve both (((A))) (I) a substantially more expeditious or enhanced cleanup than would otherwise occur((,)); and (((B))) (II) the prevention or mitigation of unfair economic hardship;
     (xii) Public funding to assist prospective purchasers to pay for the costs of remedial action in compliance with clean-up standards under RCW 70.105D.030(2)(e) if:
     (A) The facility is located within a redevelopment opportunity zone designated under section 5 of this act;
     (B) The amount and terms of the funding are established under a settlement agreement under RCW 70.105D.040(5); and
     (C) The director has found the funding meets any additional criteria established in rule by the department, will achieve a substantially more expeditious or enhanced cleanup than would otherwise occur, and will provide a public benefit in addition to cleanup commensurate with the scope of the public funding such as:
     (I) Public access to an area not otherwise accessible to the public;
     (II) New or improved public recreational activities;
     (III) Enhancement of a natural resource habitat that would not otherwise occur;
     (IV) Preservation of a historic property listed pursuant to chapter 84.26 RCW; or
     (V) Economic and job development opportunities that would not otherwise occur;
     (xiii)
Development and demonstration of alternative management technologies designed to carry out the hazardous waste management priorities of RCW 70.105.150;
     (((xiii))) (xiv) During the 2009-2011 and 2011-2013 fiscal biennia, shoreline update technical assistance;
     (((xiv) During the 2009-2011 fiscal biennium, multijurisdictional permitting teams;)) and
     (xv) During the 2011-2013 fiscal biennium, actions for reducing public exposure to toxic air pollution.
     (3) The following moneys shall be deposited into the local toxics control account: Those revenues which are raised by the tax imposed under RCW 82.21.030 and which are attributable to that portion of the rate equal to thirty-seven one-hundredths of one percent.
     (a) Moneys deposited in the local toxics control account shall be used by the department for grants or loans to local governments for the following purposes in descending order of priority:
     (i) Remedial actions, including planning for adaptive reuse of properties as provided for under (c)(iii) of this subsection (3);
     (ii) Hazardous waste plans and programs under chapter 70.105 RCW;
     (iii) Solid waste plans and programs under chapters 70.95, 70.95C, 70.95I, and 70.105 RCW;
     (iv) Funds for a program to assist in the assessment and cleanup of sites of methamphetamine production, but not to be used for the initial containment of such sites, consistent with the responsibilities and intent of RCW 69.50.511; and
     (v) Cleanup and disposal of hazardous substances from abandoned or derelict vessels, defined for the purposes of this section as vessels that have little or no value and either have no identified owner or have an identified owner lacking financial resources to clean up and dispose of the vessel, that pose a threat to human health or the environment.
     (b) Funds for plans and programs shall be allocated consistent with the priorities and matching requirements established in chapters 70.105, 70.95C, 70.95I, and 70.95 RCW, except that any applicant that is a Puget Sound partner, as defined in RCW 90.71.010, along with any project that is referenced in the action agenda developed by the Puget Sound partnership under RCW 90.71.310, shall, except as conditioned by RCW 70.105D.120, receive priority for any available funding for any grant or funding programs or sources that use a competitive bidding process. During the 2007-2009 fiscal biennium, moneys in the account may also be used for grants to local governments to retrofit public sector diesel equipment and for storm water planning and implementation activities.
     (c) To expedite cleanups throughout the state, the department shall partner with local communities and liable ((parties for cleanups. The department is authorized to use)) persons conducting remedial actions, and may use the following additional strategies in order to facilitate economic development and ensure a healthful environment for future generations:
     (i) Enter into a grant or loan agreement with a local government conducting a remedial action that provides for periodic reimbursement of remedial action costs as they are incurred as established in the agreement;
     (ii) Enter into a grant or loan agreement with a local government prior to it acquiring a property or obtaining necessary access to conduct remedial actions, provided the agreement is conditioned upon the local government acquiring the property or obtaining the access in accordance with a schedule specified in the agreement;
     (iii) Provide integrated planning grants or loans to local governments to fund studies necessary to facilitate remedial actions at brownfield properties and adaptive reuse of properties following remediation. Eligible activities include, but are not limited to: Environmental site assessments; remedial investigations; health assessments; feasibility studies; site planning; community involvement; land use and regulatory analyses; building and infrastructure assessments; economic and fiscal analyses; and any environmental analyses under chapter 43.21C RCW;
     (iv) Provide grants or loans to local governments for remedial actions related to areawide groundwater contamination. To receive the funding, the local government does not need to be a potentially liable person or be required to seek reimbursement of grant funds from a potentially liable person;
     (v)
The director may alter ((grant-matching)) grant or loan matching requirements to create incentives for local governments to expedite cleanups when one of the following conditions exists:
     (A) Funding would prevent or mitigate unfair economic hardship imposed by the clean-up liability;
     (B) Funding would create new substantial economic development, public recreational, or habitat restoration opportunities that would not otherwise occur; or
     (C) Funding would create an opportunity for acquisition and redevelopment of ((vacant, orphaned, or abandoned)) brownfield property under RCW 70.105D.040(5) that would not otherwise occur; and
     (((ii) The use of outside contracts to conduct necessary studies;
     (iii) The purchase of remedial action cost-cap insurance, when necessary to expedite multiparty clean-up efforts
)) (vi) When pending grant and loan applications under (c)(iii) and (iv) of this subsection (3) exceed the amount of funds available, designated redevelopment opportunity zones must receive priority for distribution of available funds.
     (d) ((To facilitate and expedite cleanups using funds from the local toxics control account, during the 2009-2011 fiscal biennium the director may establish grant-funded accounts to hold and disperse local toxics control account funds and funds from local governments to be used for remedial actions.)) To expedite multiparty clean-up efforts, the department may purchase remedial action cost-cap insurance.
     (4) Except for unanticipated receipts under RCW 43.79.260 through 43.79.282, moneys in the state and local toxics control accounts may be spent only after appropriation by statute.
     (5) Except during the 2009-2011 fiscal biennium, one percent of the moneys deposited into the state and local toxics control accounts shall be allocated only for public participation grants to persons who may be adversely affected by a release or threatened release of a hazardous substance and to not-for-profit public interest organizations. The primary purpose of these grants is to facilitate the participation by persons and organizations in the investigation and remedying of releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances and to implement the state's solid and hazardous waste management priorities. No grant may exceed sixty thousand dollars. Grants may be renewed annually. Moneys appropriated for public participation from either account which are not expended at the close of any biennium shall revert to the state toxics control account.
     (6) No moneys deposited into either the state or local toxics control account may be used for solid waste incinerator feasibility studies, construction, maintenance, or operation, or, after January 1, 2010, for projects designed to address the restoration of Puget Sound, funded in a competitive grant process, that are in conflict with the action agenda developed by the Puget Sound partnership under RCW 90.71.310.
     (7) The department shall adopt rules for grant or loan issuance and performance. To accelerate both remedial action and economic recovery, the department may expedite the adoption of rules necessary to implement this act using the expedited procedures in RCW 34.05.353. The department shall initiate the award of financial assistance by July 1, 2012. To ensure the adoption of rules will not delay financial assistance, the department may administer the award of financial assistance through interpretive guidance pending the adoption of rules through July 1, 2013.
     (8) ((During the 2007-2009 and 2009-2011 fiscal biennia, the legislature may transfer from the local toxics control account to either the state general fund or the oil spill prevention account, or both such amounts as reflect excess fund balance in the account.
     (9) During the 2009-2011 fiscal biennium, the local toxics control account may also be used for a standby rescue tug at Neah Bay, local government shoreline update grants, private and public sector diesel equipment retrofit, and oil spill prevention, preparedness, and response activities.
     (10) During the 2009-2011 fiscal biennium, the legislature may transfer from the state toxics control account to the state general fund such amounts as reflect the excess fund balance in the account.
     (11)
)) During the 2011-2013 fiscal biennium, the local toxics control account may also be used for local government shoreline update grants and actions for reducing public exposure to toxic air pollution.

Sec. 11   RCW 43.84.092 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 16 s 6, 2011 1st sp.s. c 7 s 22, 2011 c 369 s 6, 2011 c 339 s 1, 2011 c 311 s 9, 2011 c 272 s 3, 2011 c 120 s 3, and 2011 c 83 s 7 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     (1) All earnings of investments of surplus balances in the state treasury shall be deposited to the treasury income account, which account is hereby established in the state treasury.
     (2) The treasury income account shall be utilized to pay or receive funds associated with federal programs as required by the federal cash management improvement act of 1990. The treasury income account is subject in all respects to chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for refunds or allocations of interest earnings required by the cash management improvement act. Refunds of interest to the federal treasury required under the cash management improvement act fall under RCW 43.88.180 and shall not require appropriation. The office of financial management shall determine the amounts due to or from the federal government pursuant to the cash management improvement act. The office of financial management may direct transfers of funds between accounts as deemed necessary to implement the provisions of the cash management improvement act, and this subsection. Refunds or allocations shall occur prior to the distributions of earnings set forth in subsection (4) of this section.
     (3) Except for the provisions of RCW 43.84.160, the treasury income account may be utilized for the payment of purchased banking services on behalf of treasury funds including, but not limited to, depository, safekeeping, and disbursement functions for the state treasury and affected state agencies. The treasury income account is subject in all respects to chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for payments to financial institutions. Payments shall occur prior to distribution of earnings set forth in subsection (4) of this section.
     (4) Monthly, the state treasurer shall distribute the earnings credited to the treasury income account. The state treasurer shall credit the general fund with all the earnings credited to the treasury income account except:
     (a) The following accounts and funds shall receive their proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's and fund's average daily balance for the period: The aeronautics account, the aircraft search and rescue account, the brownfield redevelopment trust fund account, the budget stabilization account, the capital vessel replacement account, the capitol building construction account, the Cedar River channel construction and operation account, the Central Washington University capital projects account, the charitable, educational, penal and reformatory institutions account, the cleanup settlement account, the Columbia river basin water supply development account, the Columbia river basin taxable bond water supply development account, the Columbia river basin water supply revenue recovery account, the common school construction fund, the county arterial preservation account, the county criminal justice assistance account, the county sales and use tax equalization account, the deferred compensation administrative account, the deferred compensation principal account, the department of licensing services account, the department of retirement systems expense account, the developmental disabilities community trust account, the drinking water assistance account, the drinking water assistance administrative account, the drinking water assistance repayment account, the Eastern Washington University capital projects account, the Interstate 405 express toll lanes operations account, the education construction fund, the education legacy trust account, the election account, the energy freedom account, the energy recovery act account, the essential rail assistance account, The Evergreen State College capital projects account, the federal forest revolving account, the ferry bond retirement fund, the freight congestion relief account, the freight mobility investment account, the freight mobility multimodal account, the grade crossing protective fund, the public health services account, the health system capacity account, the high capacity transportation account, the state higher education construction account, the higher education construction account, the highway bond retirement fund, the highway infrastructure account, the highway safety account, the high occupancy toll lanes operations account, the hospital safety net assessment fund, the industrial insurance premium refund account, the judges' retirement account, the judicial retirement administrative account, the judicial retirement principal account, the local leasehold excise tax account, the local real estate excise tax account, the local sales and use tax account, the marine resources stewardship trust account, the medical aid account, the mobile home park relocation fund, the motor vehicle fund, the motorcycle safety education account, the multiagency permitting team account, the multimodal transportation account, the municipal criminal justice assistance account, the municipal sales and use tax equalization account, the natural resources deposit account, the oyster reserve land account, the pension funding stabilization account, the perpetual surveillance and maintenance account, the public employees' retirement system plan 1 account, the public employees' retirement system combined plan 2 and plan 3 account, the public facilities construction loan revolving account beginning July 1, 2004, the public health supplemental account, the public transportation systems account, the public works assistance account, the Puget Sound capital construction account, the Puget Sound ferry operations account, the Puyallup tribal settlement account, the real estate appraiser commission account, the recreational vehicle account, the regional mobility grant program account, the resource management cost account, the rural arterial trust account, the rural mobility grant program account, the rural Washington loan fund, the site closure account, the skilled nursing facility safety net trust fund, the small city pavement and sidewalk account, the special category C account, the special wildlife account, the state employees' insurance account, the state employees' insurance reserve account, the state investment board expense account, the state investment board commingled trust fund accounts, the state patrol highway account, the state route number 520 civil penalties account, the state route number 520 corridor account, the state wildlife account, the supplemental pension account, the Tacoma Narrows toll bridge account, the teachers' retirement system plan 1 account, the teachers' retirement system combined plan 2 and plan 3 account, the tobacco prevention and control account, the tobacco settlement account, the transportation 2003 account (nickel account), the transportation equipment fund, the transportation fund, the transportation improvement account, the transportation improvement board bond retirement account, the transportation infrastructure account, the transportation partnership account, the traumatic brain injury account, the tuition recovery trust fund, the University of Washington bond retirement fund, the University of Washington building account, the volunteer firefighters' and reserve officers' relief and pension principal fund, the volunteer firefighters' and reserve officers' administrative fund, the Washington judicial retirement system account, the Washington law enforcement officers' and firefighters' system plan 1 retirement account, the Washington law enforcement officers' and firefighters' system plan 2 retirement account, the Washington public safety employees' plan 2 retirement account, the Washington school employees' retirement system combined plan 2 and 3 account, the Washington state economic development commission account, the Washington state health insurance pool account, the Washington state patrol retirement account, the Washington State University building account, the Washington State University bond retirement fund, the water pollution control revolving fund, and the Western Washington University capital projects account. Earnings derived from investing balances of the agricultural permanent fund, the normal school permanent fund, the permanent common school fund, the scientific permanent fund, and the state university permanent fund shall be allocated to their respective beneficiary accounts.
     (b) Any state agency that has independent authority over accounts or funds not statutorily required to be held in the state treasury that deposits funds into a fund or account in the state treasury pursuant to an agreement with the office of the state treasurer shall receive its proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's or fund's average daily balance for the period.
     (5) In conformance with Article II, section 37 of the state Constitution, no treasury accounts or funds shall be allocated earnings without the specific affirmative directive of this section.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 12   If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

--- END ---