Passed by the Senate March 6, 2012 YEAS 45   ________________________________________ President of the Senate Passed by the House March 2, 2012 YEAS 97   ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives | I, Thomas Hoemann, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SECOND SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5343 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth. ________________________________________ Secretary | |
Approved ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington | Secretary of State State of Washington |
State of Washington | 62nd Legislature | 2012 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 01/23/12.
AN ACT Relating to air emissions from anaerobic digesters; adding a new section to chapter 70.94 RCW; and creating new sections.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 A new section is added to chapter 70.94 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) A generator operating at an electric generating project with an
installed generator capacity of at least seven hundred fifty kilowatts
but not exceeding one thousand kilowatts, that is in operation on the
effective date of this act and began operating after 2008, and that is
located on agricultural lands of long-term commercial significance
pursuant to chapter 36.70A RCW, is granted an extended compliance
period for permit provisions related to the emissions limit for sulfur
established by the department or a local air authority until December
31, 2016, if it is fueled by biogas that is produced by an anaerobic
digester that qualifies for the solid waste permitting exemption
specified in RCW 70.95.330.
(2) A generator that meets the requirements in subsection (1) of
this section may not be located in a federally designated nonattainment
or maintenance area.
(3) Upon request, the department or a local air authority must
provide technical assistance to a generator meeting the requirements in
subsection (1) of this section to assist the generator in reducing its
emissions in order to meet the requirements in this chapter.
(4) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this
section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(a) "Anaerobic digester" means a vessel that processes organic
material into biogas and digestate using microorganisms in a
decomposition process within a closed, oxygen-free container.
(b) "Generator" means an internal combustion engine that converts
biogas into electricity, and includes any back-up combustion device to
burn biogas when an engine is idled for maintenance.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 (1) By December 1, 2012, the department of
ecology must submit a report to the appropriate standing committees of
the legislature containing information regarding the degree to which
current state air quality regulations consider different feed sources
for anaerobic digesters and strategies to address the different feed
sources used in anaerobic digesters. The department of ecology must
consult with interested parties in drafting the report.
(2) The definitions in section 1(4) of this act apply throughout
this section.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 If specific funding for the purposes of this
act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is not provided by
June 30, 2012, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and
void.