AN ACT Relating to the safe transport of hazardous materials; amending RCW 82.23B.010, 82.23B.020, 82.23B.030, 82.23B.040, 88.40.011, 90.56.010, 81.53.240, 38.52.070, 81.53.010, and 81.24.010; reenacting and amending RCW 88.46.010, 38.52.040, and 42.56.270; adding new sections to chapter 90.56 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 81.53 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 81.44 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 81.24 RCW; adding new sections to chapter 81.40 RCW; creating new sections; repealing RCW 81.40.010 and 81.40.035; repealing 2015 c ... s 19; prescribing penalties; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 90.56 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The department must provide to the relevant policy and fiscal committees of the senate and house of representatives:

(a) A review of all state geographic response plans and any federal requirements as needed in contingency plans required under RCW 90.56.210 and 88.46.060 by December 31, 2015; and

(b) Annual updates, beginning December 31, 2016, and ending December 31, 2021, as required under RCW 43.01.036, as to the progress made in completing state and federal geographic response plans as needed in contingency plans required under RCW 90.56.060, 90.56.210, and 88.46.060.

(2) The department must contract, if practicable, with eligible independent third parties to ensure completion by December 1, 2017, of at least fifty percent of the geographic response plans as needed in contingency plans required under RCW 90.56.210 and 88.46.060 for the state.

(3) All requirements in this section are subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for the specific purposes described.

(2) For the purposes of determining grant allocations, the department of ecology, in consultation with emergency first responders, oil spill response cooperatives, representatives from the oil and rail industries, and businesses that are recipients of liquid bulk crude oil shall: (a) Conduct an evaluation of oil spill and hazardous materials response and firefighting equipment and resources currently available for oil spill and hazardous materials response activities throughout the state; (b) review the local emergency management coordinating efforts for oil spill and hazardous materials response; (c) determine the need for additional, new, or updated equipment and resources; and (d) identify areas or regions of the state that are in greatest need of resources and oil spill and hazardous materials response and firefighting equipment.

(3) The department of ecology, in consultation with emergency first responders, oil spill response cooperatives, representatives from the oil and rail industries, and businesses that are recipients of liquid bulk crude oil shall review grant applications to prioritize grant awards using the evaluation of availability of oil spill and hazardous materials response and firefighting equipment and resources as determined in subsection (2) of this section.

(a) The application review must include evaluation of equipment and resource requests, funding requirements, and coordination with existing equipment and resources in the area.

(b) Funding must be prioritized for applicants from areas where the need for firefighting and oil spill and hazardous materials response equipment is the greatest as determined in subsection (2) of this section.

(c) Grants must be coordinated to maximize currently existing equipment and resources that have been put in place by first responders and industry.

Sec. 3.  RCW 82.23B.010 and 1992 c 73 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:

((Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.)) The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(1) "Barrel" means a unit of measurement of volume equal to forty-two United States gallons of crude oil or petroleum product.

(2) "Bulk oil terminal" means a facility of any kind, other than a waterborne vessel, that is used for transferring crude oil from a tank car. (3) "Crude oil" means any naturally occurring liquid hydrocarbons at atmospheric temperature and pressure coming from the earth, including condensate and natural gasoline.

(((3))) (4) "Department" means the department of revenue.

(((4))) (5) "Marine terminal" means a facility of any kind, other than a waterborne vessel, that is used for transferring crude oil or petroleum products to or from a waterborne vessel or barge.

(((5))) (6) "Navigable waters" means those waters of the state and their adjoining shorelines that are subject to the ebb and flow of the tide, including the Columbia and Snake rivers.

(((6))) (7) "Person" has the meaning provided in RCW 82.04.030.

(((7))) (8) "Petroleum product" means any liquid hydrocarbons at atmospheric temperature and pressure that are the product of the fractionation, distillation, or other refining or processing of crude oil, and that are used as, useable as, or may be refined as a fuel or fuel blendstock, including but not limited to, gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation fuel, bunker fuel, and fuels containing a blend of alcohol and petroleum.

(((8))) (9) "Tank car" means a rail car, the body of which consists of a tank for transporting liquids. (10) "Taxpayer" means the person owning crude oil or petroleum products immediately after receipt of the same into the storage tanks of a marine or bulk oil terminal in this state ((from a waterborne vessel or barge)) and who is liable for the taxes imposed by this chapter.

(((9))) (11) "Waterborne vessel or barge" means any ship, barge, or other watercraft capable of travelling on the navigable waters of this state and capable of transporting any crude oil or petroleum product in quantities of ten thousand gallons or more for purposes other than providing fuel for its motor or engine.

Sec. 4.  RCW 82.23B.020 and 2006 c 256 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) An oil spill response tax is imposed on the privilege of receiving: (a) Crude oil or petroleum products at a marine terminal within this state from a waterborne vessel or barge operating on the navigable waters of this state; and (b) crude oil at a bulk oil terminal within this state from a tank car. The tax imposed in this section is levied upon the owner of the crude oil or petroleum products immediately after receipt of the same into the storage tanks of a marine or bulk oil terminal from a tank car or waterborne vessel or barge at the rate of one cent per barrel of crude oil or petroleum product received.

(2) In addition to the tax imposed in subsection (1) of this section, an oil spill administration tax is imposed on the privilege of receiving: (a) Crude oil or petroleum products at a marine terminal within this state from a waterborne vessel or barge operating on the navigable waters of this state; and (b) crude oil at a bulk oil terminal within this state from a tank car. The tax imposed in this section is levied upon the owner of the crude oil or petroleum products immediately after receipt of the same into the storage tanks of a marine or bulk oil terminal from a tank car or waterborne vessel or barge at the rate of four cents per barrel of crude oil or petroleum product.

(3) The taxes imposed by this chapter ((shall)) must be collected by the marine or bulk oil terminal operator from the taxpayer. If any person charged with collecting the taxes fails to bill the taxpayer for the taxes, or in the alternative has not notified the taxpayer in writing of the ((imposition of the)) taxes imposed, or having collected the taxes, fails to pay them to the department in the manner prescribed by this chapter, whether such failure is the result of the person's own acts or the result of acts or conditions beyond the person's control, he or she ((shall)), nevertheless, ((be)) is personally liable to the state for the amount of the taxes. Payment of the taxes by the owner to a marine or bulk oil terminal operator ((shall)) must relieve the owner from further liability for the taxes.

(4) Taxes collected under this chapter ((shall)) must be held in trust until paid to the department. Any person collecting the taxes who appropriates or converts the taxes collected ((shall be)) is guilty of a gross misdemeanor if the money required to be collected is not available for payment on the date payment is due. The taxes required by this chapter to be collected ((shall)) must be stated separately from other charges made by the marine or bulk oil terminal operator in any invoice or other statement of account provided to the taxpayer.

(5) If a taxpayer fails to pay the taxes imposed by this chapter to the person charged with collection of the taxes and the person charged with collection fails to pay the taxes to the department, the department may, in its discretion, proceed directly against the taxpayer for collection of the taxes.

(6) The taxes ((shall be)) are due from the marine or bulk oil terminal operator, along with reports and returns on forms prescribed by the department, within twenty-five days after the end of the month in which the taxable activity occurs.

(7) The amount of taxes, until paid by the taxpayer to the marine or bulk oil terminal operator or to the department, ((shall)) constitute a debt from the taxpayer to the marine or bulk oil terminal operator. Any person required to collect the taxes under this chapter who, with intent to violate the provisions of this chapter, fails or refuses to do so as required and any taxpayer who refuses to pay any taxes due under this chapter((, shall be)) is guilty of a misdemeanor as provided in chapter 9A.20 RCW.

(8) Upon prior approval of the department, the taxpayer may pay the taxes imposed by this chapter directly to the department. The department ((shall)) must give its approval for direct payment under this section whenever it appears, in the department's judgment, that direct payment will enhance the administration of the taxes imposed under this chapter. The department ((shall)) must provide by rule for the issuance of a direct payment certificate to any taxpayer qualifying for direct payment of the taxes. Good faith acceptance of a direct payment certificate by a terminal operator ((shall)) must relieve the marine or bulk oil terminal operator from any liability for the collection or payment of the taxes imposed under this chapter.

(9) All receipts from the tax imposed in subsection (1) of this section ((shall)) must be deposited into the state oil spill response account. All receipts from the tax imposed in subsection (2) of this section shall be deposited into the oil spill prevention account.

(10) Within forty-five days after the end of each calendar quarter, the office of financial management ((shall)) must determine the balance of the oil spill response account as of the last day of that calendar quarter. Balance determinations by the office of financial management under this section are final and ((shall)) may not be used to challenge the validity of any tax imposed under this chapter. The office of financial management ((shall)) must promptly notify the departments of revenue and ecology of the account balance once a determination is made. For each subsequent calendar quarter, the tax imposed by subsection (1) of this section shall be imposed during the entire calendar quarter unless:

(a) Tax was imposed under subsection (1) of this section during the immediately preceding calendar quarter, and the most recent quarterly balance is more than nine million dollars; or

(b) Tax was not imposed under subsection (1) of this section during the immediately preceding calendar quarter, and the most recent quarterly balance is more than eight million dollars.

Sec. 5.  RCW 82.23B.030 and 1992 c 73 s 9 are each amended to read as follows:

The taxes imposed under this chapter ((shall)) only apply to the first receipt of crude oil or petroleum products at a marine or bulk oil terminal in this state and not to the later transporting and subsequent receipt of the same oil or petroleum product, whether in the form originally received at a marine or bulk oil terminal in this state or after refining or other processing.

Sec. 6.  RCW 82.23B.040 and 1992 c 73 s 10 are each amended to read as follows:

Credit ((shall)) must be allowed against the taxes imposed under this chapter for any crude oil or petroleum products received at a marine or bulk oil terminal and subsequently exported from or sold for export from the state.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7.  A new section is added to chapter 90.56 RCW to read as follows:

(1) A facility that receives crude oil from a railroad car must provide advance notice to the department that the facility will receive crude oil from a railroad car, as provided in this section. The advance notice must include the route taken to the facility within the state, if known, and the scheduled time, location, volume, and type of crude oil received. Each week, a facility that provides advance notice under this section must provide the required information regarding the scheduled arrival of railroad cars carrying crude oil to be received by the facility in the succeeding seven-day period. A facility is not required to provide advance notice when there is no receipt of crude oil from a railroad car scheduled for a seven-day period.

(2) The department may share information provided by a facility through the advance notice system established in this section with the state emergency management division and any county, city, tribal, port, or local government emergency response agency upon request.

(3) The department must publish information collected under the advance notice system established in this section on a quarterly basis on the department's internet web site. The information published by the department must be aggregated on a statewide basis with respect to information reported under subsection (1) of this section and may include other information available to the department including, but not limited to, place of origin, modes of transport, route taken to the facility, number of railroad cars delivering crude oil, and number and volume of spills during transport and delivery. The department must ensure that information is aggregated to the extent that publication does not allow for identification of a facility.

(4) A facility providing advance notice under this section is not responsible for meeting advance notice time frame requirements under subsection (1) of this section in the event that the schedule of arrivals of railroad cars carrying crude oil changes during a seven-day period.

(5) Consistent with the requirements of chapter 42.56 RCW, the department and any state, local, tribal, or public agency that receives information provided under the advance notice system established in this section may not disclose any such information that is not aggregated and that might result in the identification of a facility. The requirement for aggregating information does not apply when information is shared by the department with emergency response agencies as provided in subsection (2) of this section.

(6) The department shall adopt rules to implement this section. The advance notice system required in this section must be consistent with the oil transfer reporting system adopted by the department pursuant to RCW 88.46.165.

(1) Cooperative prevention and emergency response activities between the shared international and state borders;

(2) Expected risks posed by transport of Canadian crude oil or liquid bulk crude oil throughout the Pacific Northwest region; and

(3) An update of the marine transport of liquid bulk crude oil through the Pacific Northwest region.

Sec. 9.  RCW 88.40.011 and 2007 c 347 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(1) "Barge" means a vessel that is not self-propelled.

(2) "Cargo vessel" means a self-propelled ship in commerce, other than a tank vessel, fishing vessel, or a passenger vessel, of three hundred or more gross tons.

(3) "Bulk" means material that is stored or transported in a loose, unpackaged liquid, powder, or granular form capable of being conveyed by a pipe, bucket, chute, or belt system.

(4) "Covered vessel" means a tank vessel, cargo vessel, or passenger vessel.

(5) "Department" means the department of ecology.

(6) "Director" means the director of the department of ecology.

(7)(a) "Facility" means any structure, group of structures, equipment, pipeline, or device, other than a vessel, located on or near the navigable waters of the state that transfers oil in bulk to or from any vessel with an oil carrying capacity over two hundred fifty barrels or pipeline, that is used for producing, storing, handling, transferring, processing, or transporting oil in bulk.

(b) A facility does not include any: (i) Railroad car, motor vehicle, or other rolling stock while transporting oil over the highways or rail lines of this state; (ii) retail motor vehicle motor fuel outlet; (iii) facility that is operated as part of an exempt agricultural activity as provided in RCW 82.04.330; (iv) underground storage tank regulated by the department or a local government under chapter 90.76 RCW; or (v) marine fuel outlet that does not dispense more than three thousand gallons of fuel to a ship that is not a covered vessel, in a single transaction.

(8) "Fishing vessel" means a self-propelled commercial vessel of three hundred or more gross tons that is used for catching or processing fish.

(9) "Gross tons" means tonnage as determined by the United States coast guard under 33 C.F.R. section 138.30.

(10) "Hazardous substances" means any substance listed as of March 1, 2003, in Table 302.4 of 40 C.F.R. Part 302 adopted under section ((101(14))) 102(a) of the federal comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act of 1980, as amended by P.L. 99-499. The following are not hazardous substances for purposes of this chapter:

(a) Wastes listed as F001 through F028 in Table 302.4; and

(b) Wastes listed as K001 through K136 in Table 302.4.

(11) "Navigable waters of the state" means those waters of the state, and their adjoining shorelines, that are subject to the ebb and flow of the tide and/or are presently used, have been used in the past, or may be susceptible for use to transport intrastate, interstate, or foreign commerce.

(12) "Oil" or "oils" means oil of any kind that is liquid at ((atmospheric temperature)) twenty-five degrees Celsius and one atmosphere of pressure and any fractionation thereof, including, but not limited to, crude oil, bitumen, synthetic crude oil, natural gas well condensate, petroleum, gasoline, fuel oil, diesel oil, biological oils and blends, oil sludge, oil refuse, and oil mixed with wastes other than dredged spoil. Oil does not include any substance listed as of March 1, 2003, in Table 302.4 of 40 C.F.R. Part 302 adopted under section ((101(14))) 102(a) of the federal comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act of 1980, as amended by P.L. 99-499.

(13) "Offshore facility" means any facility located in, on, or under any of the navigable waters of the state, but does not include a facility any part of which is located in, on, or under any land of the state, other than submerged land.

(14) "Onshore facility" means any facility any part of which is located in, on, or under any land of the state, other than submerged land, that because of its location, could reasonably be expected to cause substantial harm to the environment by discharging oil into or on the navigable waters of the state or the adjoining shorelines.

(15)(a) "Owner or operator" means (i) in the case of a vessel, any person owning, operating, or chartering by demise, the vessel; (ii) in the case of an onshore or offshore facility, any person owning or operating the facility; and (iii) in the case of an abandoned vessel or onshore or offshore facility, the person who owned or operated the vessel or facility immediately before its abandonment.

(b) "Operator" does not include any person who owns the land underlying a facility if the person is not involved in the operations of the facility.

(16) "Passenger vessel" means a ship of three hundred or more gross tons with a fuel capacity of at least six thousand gallons carrying passengers for compensation.

(17) "Ship" means any boat, ship, vessel, barge, or other floating craft of any kind.

(18) "Spill" means an unauthorized discharge of oil into the waters of the state.

(19) "Tank vessel" means a ship that is constructed or adapted to carry, or that carries, oil in bulk as cargo or cargo residue, and that:

(a) Operates on the waters of the state; or

(b) Transfers oil in a port or place subject to the jurisdiction of this state.

(20) "Waters of the state" includes lakes, rivers, ponds, streams, inland waters, underground water, salt waters, estuaries, tidal flats, beaches and lands adjoining the seacoast of the state, sewers, and all other surface waters and watercourses within the jurisdiction of the state of Washington.

Sec. 10.  RCW 88.46.010 and 2011 c 122 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(1) "Best achievable protection" means the highest level of protection that can be achieved through the use of the best achievable technology and those staffing levels, training procedures, and operational methods that provide the greatest degree of protection achievable. The director's determination of best achievable protection shall be guided by the critical need to protect the state's natural resources and waters, while considering:

(a) The additional protection provided by the measures;

(b) The technological achievability of the measures; and

(c) The cost of the measures.

(2)(a) "Best achievable technology" means the technology that provides the greatest degree of protection taking into consideration:

(i) Processes that are being developed, or could feasibly be developed, given overall reasonable expenditures on research and development; and

(ii) Processes that are currently in use.

(b) In determining what is best achievable technology, the director shall consider the effectiveness, engineering feasibility, and commercial availability of the technology.

(3) "Bulk" means material that is stored or transported in a loose, unpackaged liquid, powder, or granular form capable of being conveyed by a pipe, bucket, chute, or belt system.

(4) "Cargo vessel" means a self-propelled ship in commerce, other than a tank vessel or a passenger vessel, of three hundred or more gross tons, including but not limited to, commercial fish processing vessels and freighters.

(5) "Covered vessel" means a tank vessel, cargo vessel, or passenger vessel.

(6) "Department" means the department of ecology.

(7) "Director" means the director of the department of ecology.

(8) "Discharge" means any spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, or dumping.

(9)(a) "Facility" means any structure, group of structures, equipment, pipeline, or device, other than a vessel, located on or near the navigable waters of the state that transfers oil in bulk to or from a tank vessel or pipeline, that is used for producing, storing, handling, transferring, processing, or transporting oil in bulk.

(b) A facility does not include any: (i) Railroad car, motor vehicle, or other rolling stock while transporting oil over the highways or rail lines of this state; (ii) retail motor vehicle motor fuel outlet; (iii) facility that is operated as part of an exempt agricultural activity as provided in RCW 82.04.330; (iv) underground storage tank regulated by the department or a local government under chapter 90.76 RCW; or (v) marine fuel outlet that does not dispense more than three thousand gallons of fuel to a ship that is not a covered vessel, in a single transaction.

(10) "Marine facility" means any facility used for tank vessel wharfage or anchorage, including any equipment used for the purpose of handling or transferring oil in bulk to or from a tank vessel.

(11) "Navigable waters of the state" means those waters of the state, and their adjoining shorelines, that are subject to the ebb and flow of the tide and/or are presently used, have been used in the past, or may be susceptible for use to transport intrastate, interstate, or foreign commerce.

(12) "Offshore facility" means any facility located in, on, or under any of the navigable waters of the state, but does not include a facility any part of which is located in, on, or under any land of the state, other than submerged land. "Offshore facility" does not include a marine facility.

(13) "Oil" or "oils" means oil of any kind that is liquid at ((atmospheric temperature)) twenty-five degrees Celsius and one atmosphere of pressure and any fractionation thereof, including, but not limited to, crude oil, bitumen, synthetic crude oil, natural gas well condensate, petroleum, gasoline, fuel oil, diesel oil, biological oils and blends, oil sludge, oil refuse, and oil mixed with wastes other than dredged spoil. Oil does not include any substance listed in Table 302.4 of 40 C.F.R. Part 302 adopted August 14, 1989, under section ((101(14))) 102(a) of the federal comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act of 1980, as amended by P.L. 99-499.

(14) "Onshore facility" means any facility any part of which is located in, on, or under any land of the state, other than submerged land, that because of its location, could reasonably be expected to cause substantial harm to the environment by discharging oil into or on the navigable waters of the state or the adjoining shorelines.

(15)(a) "Owner or operator" means (i) in the case of a vessel, any person owning, operating, or chartering by demise, the vessel; (ii) in the case of an onshore or offshore facility, any person owning or operating the facility; and (iii) in the case of an abandoned vessel or onshore or offshore facility, the person who owned or operated the vessel or facility immediately before its abandonment.

(b) "Operator" does not include any person who owns the land underlying a facility if the person is not involved in the operations of the facility.

(16) "Passenger vessel" means a ship of three hundred or more gross tons with a fuel capacity of at least six thousand gallons carrying passengers for compensation.

(17) "Person" means any political subdivision, government agency, municipality, industry, public or private corporation, copartnership, association, firm, individual, or any other entity whatsoever.

(18) "Race Rocks light" means the nautical landmark located southwest of the city of Victoria, British Columbia.

(19) "Regional vessels of opportunity response group" means a group of nondedicated vessels participating in a vessels of opportunity response system to respond when needed and available to spills in a defined geographic area.

(20) "Severe weather conditions" means observed nautical conditions with sustained winds measured at forty knots and wave heights measured between twelve and eighteen feet.

(21) "Ship" means any boat, ship, vessel, barge, or other floating craft of any kind.

(22) "Spill" means an unauthorized discharge of oil into the waters of the state.

(23) "Strait of Juan de Fuca" means waters off the northern coast of the Olympic Peninsula seaward of a line drawn from New Dungeness light in Clallam county to Discovery Island light on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

(24) "Tank vessel" means a ship that is constructed or adapted to carry, or that carries, oil in bulk as cargo or cargo residue, and that:

(a) Operates on the waters of the state; or

(b) Transfers oil in a port or place subject to the jurisdiction of this state.

(25) "Umbrella plan holder" means a nonprofit corporation established consistent with this chapter for the purposes of providing oil spill response and contingency plan coverage.

(26) "Vessel emergency" means a substantial threat of pollution originating from a covered vessel, including loss or serious degradation of propulsion, steering, means of navigation, primary electrical generating capability, and seakeeping capability.

(27) "Vessels of opportunity response system" means nondedicated boats and operators, including fishing and other vessels, that are under contract with and equipped by contingency plan holders to assist with oil spill response activities, including on-water oil recovery in the near shore environment and the placement of oil spill containment booms to protect sensitive habitats.

(28) "Volunteer coordination system" means an oil spill response system that, before a spill occurs, prepares for the coordination of volunteers to assist with appropriate oil spill response activities, which may include shoreline protection and cleanup, wildlife recovery, field observation, light construction, facility maintenance, donations management, clerical support, and other aspects of a spill response.

(29) "Waters of the state" includes lakes, rivers, ponds, streams, inland waters, underground water, salt waters, estuaries, tidal flats, beaches and lands adjoining the seacoast of the state, sewers, and all other surface waters and watercourses within the jurisdiction of the state of Washington.

(30) "Worst case spill" means: (a) In the case of a vessel, a spill of the entire cargo and fuel of the vessel complicated by adverse weather conditions; and (b) in the case of an onshore or offshore facility, the largest foreseeable spill in adverse weather conditions.

Sec. 11.  RCW 90.56.010 and 2007 c 347 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(1) "Best achievable protection" means the highest level of protection that can be achieved through the use of the best achievable technology and those staffing levels, training procedures, and operational methods that provide the greatest degree of protection achievable. The director's determination of best achievable protection shall be guided by the critical need to protect the state's natural resources and waters, while considering (a) the additional protection provided by the measures; (b) the technological achievability of the measures; and (c) the cost of the measures.

(2) "Best achievable technology" means the technology that provides the greatest degree of protection taking into consideration (a) processes that are being developed, or could feasibly be developed, given overall reasonable expenditures on research and development, and (b) processes that are currently in use. In determining what is best achievable technology, the director shall consider the effectiveness, engineering feasibility, and commercial availability of the technology.

(3) "Board" means the pollution control hearings board.

(4) "Cargo vessel" means a self-propelled ship in commerce, other than a tank vessel or a passenger vessel, three hundred or more gross tons, including but not limited to, commercial fish processing vessels and freighters.

(5) "Bulk" means material that is stored or transported in a loose, unpackaged liquid, powder, or granular form capable of being conveyed by a pipe, bucket, chute, or belt system.

(6) "Committee" means the preassessment screening committee established under RCW 90.48.368.

(7) "Covered vessel" means a tank vessel, cargo vessel, or passenger vessel.

(8) "Department" means the department of ecology.

(9) "Director" means the director of the department of ecology.

(10) "Discharge" means any spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, or dumping.

(11)(a) "Facility" means any structure, group of structures, equipment, pipeline, or device, other than a vessel, located on or near the navigable waters of the state that transfers oil in bulk to or from a tank vessel or pipeline, that is used for producing, storing, handling, transferring, processing, or transporting oil in bulk.

(b) A facility does not include any: (i) Railroad car, motor vehicle, or other rolling stock while transporting oil over the highways or rail lines of this state; (ii) underground storage tank regulated by the department or a local government under chapter 90.76 RCW; (iii) motor vehicle motor fuel outlet; (iv) facility that is operated as part of an exempt agricultural activity as provided in RCW 82.04.330; or (v) marine fuel outlet that does not dispense more than three thousand gallons of fuel to a ship that is not a covered vessel, in a single transaction.

(12) "Fund" means the state coastal protection fund as provided in RCW 90.48.390 and 90.48.400.

(13) "Having control over oil" shall include but not be limited to any person using, storing, or transporting oil immediately prior to entry of such oil into the waters of the state, and shall specifically include carriers and bailees of such oil.

(14) "Marine facility" means any facility used for tank vessel wharfage or anchorage, including any equipment used for the purpose of handling or transferring oil in bulk to or from a tank vessel.

(15) "Navigable waters of the state" means those waters of the state, and their adjoining shorelines, that are subject to the ebb and flow of the tide and/or are presently used, have been used in the past, or may be susceptible for use to transport intrastate, interstate, or foreign commerce.

(16) "Necessary expenses" means the expenses incurred by the department and assisting state agencies for (a) investigating the source of the discharge; (b) investigating the extent of the environmental damage caused by the discharge; (c) conducting actions necessary to clean up the discharge; (d) conducting predamage and damage assessment studies; and (e) enforcing the provisions of this chapter and collecting for damages caused by a discharge.

(17) "Oil" or "oils" means oil of any kind that is liquid at ((atmospheric temperature)) twenty-five degrees Celsius and one atmosphere of pressure and any fractionation thereof, including, but not limited to, crude oil, bitumen, synthetic crude oil, natural gas well condensate, petroleum, gasoline, fuel oil, diesel oil, biological oils and blends, oil sludge, oil refuse, and oil mixed with wastes other than dredged spoil. Oil does not include any substance listed in Table 302.4 of 40 C.F.R. Part 302 adopted August 14, 1989, under section ((101(14))) 102(a) of the federal comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act of 1980, as amended by P.L. 99-499.

(18) "Offshore facility" means any facility located in, on, or under any of the navigable waters of the state, but does not include a facility any part of which is located in, on, or under any land of the state, other than submerged land.

(19) "Onshore facility" means any facility any part of which is located in, on, or under any land of the state, other than submerged land, that because of its location, could reasonably be expected to cause substantial harm to the environment by discharging oil into or on the navigable waters of the state or the adjoining shorelines.

(20)(a) "Owner or operator" means (i) in the case of a vessel, any person owning, operating, or chartering by demise, the vessel; (ii) in the case of an onshore or offshore facility, any person owning or operating the facility; and (iii) in the case of an abandoned vessel or onshore or offshore facility, the person who owned or operated the vessel or facility immediately before its abandonment.

(b) "Operator" does not include any person who owns the land underlying a facility if the person is not involved in the operations of the facility.

(21) "Passenger vessel" means a ship of three hundred or more gross tons with a fuel capacity of at least six thousand gallons carrying passengers for compensation.

(22) "Person" means any political subdivision, government agency, municipality, industry, public or private corporation, copartnership, association, firm, individual, or any other entity whatsoever.

(23) "Ship" means any boat, ship, vessel, barge, or other floating craft of any kind.

(24) "Spill" means an unauthorized discharge of oil or hazardous substances into the waters of the state.

(25) "Tank vessel" means a ship that is constructed or adapted to carry, or that carries, oil in bulk as cargo or cargo residue, and that:

(a) Operates on the waters of the state; or

(b) Transfers oil in a port or place subject to the jurisdiction of this state.

(26) "Waters of the state" includes lakes, rivers, ponds, streams, inland waters, underground water, salt waters, estuaries, tidal flats, beaches and lands adjoining the seacoast of the state, sewers, and all other surface waters and watercourses within the jurisdiction of the state of Washington.

(27) "Worst case spill" means: (a) In the case of a vessel, a spill of the entire cargo and fuel of the vessel complicated by adverse weather conditions; and (b) in the case of an onshore or offshore facility, the largest foreseeable spill in adverse weather conditions.

Sec. 12.  RCW 81.53.240 and 1984 c 7 s 375 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Except to the extent necessary to permit participation by first-class cities in the grade crossing protective fund, when an election to participate is made as provided in RCW 81.53.261 through 81.53.291, or to the extent a first-class city requests to participate in the commission's crossing safety inspection program within the city, this chapter (( 81.53 RCW)) is not operative within the limits of first-class cities, and does not apply to street railway lines operating on or across any street, alley, or other public place within the limits of any city, except that a streetcar line outside of cities of the first class shall not cross a railroad at grade without express authority from the commission. The commission may not change the location of a state highway without the approval of the secretary of transportation, or the location of any crossing thereon adopted or approved by the department of transportation, or grant a railroad authority to cross a state highway at grade without the consent of the secretary of transportation.

Sec. 13.  RCW 38.52.040 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 21 s 27, 2011 c 336 s 789, and 2011 c 79 s 9 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(1) There is hereby created the emergency management council (hereinafter called the council), to consist of not more than seventeen members who shall be appointed by the adjutant general. The membership of the council shall include, but not be limited to, representatives of city and county governments, sheriffs and police chiefs, the Washington state patrol, the military department, the department of ecology, state and local fire chiefs, seismic safety experts, state and local emergency management directors, search and rescue volunteers, medical professions who have expertise in emergency medical care, building officials, and private industry. The representatives of private industry shall include persons knowledgeable in emergency and hazardous materials management. The councilmembers shall elect a chair from within the council membership. The members of the council shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for their travel expenses incurred in the performance of their duties in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060 as now existing or hereafter amended.

(2) The emergency management council shall advise the governor and the director on all matters pertaining to state and local emergency management. The council may appoint such ad hoc committees, subcommittees, and working groups as are required to develop specific recommendations for the improvement of emergency management practices, standards, policies, or procedures. The council shall ensure that the governor receives an annual assessment of statewide emergency preparedness including, but not limited to, specific progress on hazard mitigation and reduction efforts, implementation of seismic safety improvements, reduction of flood hazards, and coordination of hazardous materials planning and response activities. The council or a subcommittee thereof shall periodically convene in special session and serve during those sessions as the state emergency response commission required by P.L. 99-499, the emergency planning and community right-to-know act. When sitting in session as the state emergency response commission, the council shall confine its deliberations to those items specified in federal statutes and state administrative rules governing the coordination of hazardous materials policy. Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the council must require local emergency planning organizations to submit hazardous materials plans and to update the plans on a five-year cycle for compliance review by the director. The council shall review administrative rules governing state and local emergency management practices and recommend necessary revisions to the director.

(3)(a) The intrastate mutual aid committee is created and is a subcommittee of the emergency management council. The intrastate mutual aid committee consists of not more than five members who must be appointed by the council chair from council membership. The chair of the intrastate mutual aid committee is the military department representative appointed as a member of the council. Meetings of the intrastate mutual aid committee must be held at least annually.

(b) In support of the intrastate mutual aid system established in chapter 38.56 RCW, the intrastate mutual aid committee shall develop and update guidelines and procedures to facilitate implementation of the intrastate mutual aid system by member jurisdictions, including but not limited to the following: Projected or anticipated costs; checklists and forms for requesting and providing assistance; recordkeeping; reimbursement procedures; and other implementation issues. These guidelines and procedures are not subject to the rule-making requirements of chapter 34.05 RCW.

Sec. 14.  RCW 38.52.070 and 1997 c 49 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Each political subdivision of this state is hereby authorized and directed to establish a local organization or to be a member of a joint local organization for emergency management in accordance with the state comprehensive emergency management plan and program: PROVIDED, That a political subdivision proposing such establishment shall submit its plan and program for emergency management to the state director and secure his or her recommendations thereon, and verification of consistency with the state comprehensive emergency management plan, in order that the plan of the local organization for emergency management may be coordinated with the plan and program of the state. Local comprehensive emergency management plans must: (a) Specify the use of the incident command system for multiagency/multijurisdiction operations; and (b) include hazardous materials plans that are updated on a five-year cycle for compliance review by the director. No political subdivision may be required to include in its plan provisions for the emergency evacuation or relocation of residents in anticipation of nuclear attack. If the director's recommendations are adverse to the plan as submitted, and, if the local organization does not agree to the director's recommendations for modification to the proposal, the matter shall be referred to the council for final action. The director may authorize two or more political subdivisions to join in the establishment and operation of a joint local organization for emergency management as circumstances may warrant, in which case each political subdivision shall contribute to the cost of emergency management upon such fair and equitable basis as may be determined upon by the executive heads of the constituent subdivisions. If in any case the executive heads cannot agree upon the proper division of cost the matter shall be referred to the council for arbitration and its decision shall be final. When two or more political subdivisions join in the establishment and operation of a joint local organization for emergency management each shall pay its share of the cost into a special pooled fund to be administered by the treasurer of the most populous subdivision, which fund shall be known as the . . . . . . emergency management fund. Each local organization or joint local organization for emergency management shall have a director who shall be appointed by the executive head of the political subdivision, and who shall have direct responsibility for the organization, administration, and operation of such local organization for emergency management, subject to the direction and control of such executive officer or officers. In the case of a joint local organization for emergency management, the director shall be appointed by the joint action of the executive heads of the constituent political subdivisions. Each local organization or joint local organization for emergency management shall perform emergency management functions within the territorial limits of the political subdivision within which it is organized, and, in addition, shall conduct such functions outside of such territorial limits as may be required pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.

(2) In carrying out the provisions of this chapter each political subdivision, in which any disaster as described in RCW 38.52.020 occurs, shall have the power to enter into contracts and incur obligations necessary to combat such disaster, protecting the health and safety of persons and property, and providing emergency assistance to the victims of such disaster. Each political subdivision is authorized to exercise the powers vested under this section in the light of the exigencies of an extreme emergency situation without regard to time-consuming procedures and formalities prescribed by law (excepting mandatory constitutional requirements), including, but not limited to, budget law limitations, requirements of competitive bidding and publication of notices, provisions pertaining to the performance of public work, entering into contracts, the incurring of obligations, the employment of temporary workers, the rental of equipment, the purchase of supplies and materials, the levying of taxes, and the appropriation and expenditures of public funds.

Sec. 15.  RCW 81.53.010 and 2013 c 23 s 302 are each amended to read as follows:

((The term)) (1) "Commission((,))" ((when used in this chapter,)) means the utilities and transportation commission of Washington.

((The term)) (2) "Highway((,))" ((when used in this chapter,)) includes all state and county roads, streets, alleys, avenues, boulevards, parkways, and other public places actually open and in use, or to be opened and used, for travel by the public.

((The term)) (3) "Railroad((,))" ((when used in this chapter,)) means every railroad, including interurban and suburban electric railroads, by whatsoever power operated, for the public use in the conveyance of persons or property for hire, with all bridges, ferries, tunnels, equipment, switches, spurs, sidings, tracks, stations, and terminal facilities of every kind, used, operated, controlled, managed, or owned by or in connection therewith. The ((said)) term ((shall)) also includes every logging and other industrial railway owned or operated primarily for the purpose of carrying the property of its owners or operators or of a limited class of persons, with all tracks, spurs, and sidings used in connection therewith. The ((said)) term ((shall)) does not include street railways operating within the limits of any incorporated city or town.

((The term)) (4) "Railroad company((,))" ((when used in this chapter,)) includes every corporation, company, association, joint stock association, partnership, or person, its, their, or his or her lessees, trustees, or receivers appointed by any court whatsoever, owning, operating, controlling, or managing any railroad((, as that term is defined in this section)).

((The term)) (5) "Over-crossing((,))" ((when used in this chapter,)) means any point or place where a highway crosses a railroad by passing above the same. "Over-crossing" also means any point or place where one railroad crosses another railroad not at grade.

((The term)) (6) "Under-crossing((,))" ((when used in this chapter,)) means any point or place where a highway crosses a railroad by passing under the same. "Under-crossing" also means any point or place where one railroad crosses another railroad not at grade.

The term)) (7) "Grade crossing((,))" ((when used in this chapter,)) means any point or place where a railroad crosses a highway or a highway crosses a railroad or one railroad crosses another, at a common grade.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 16.  A new section is added to chapter 81.53 RCW to read as follows:

(1) To address the potential public safety hazards presented by private crossings in the state and by the transportation of hazardous materials in the state, including crude oil, the commission is authorized to adopt rules governing safety standards for private crossings along the railroad tracks over which crude oil is transported in the state, including, but not limited to, requirements for signage.

(2) Nothing in this section modifies existing agreements between the railroad company and the landowner governing cost allocation for upgrades to private crossing or liability for injuries or damages occurring at the private crossing.

(3) All requirements in this section are subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for the specific purposes described.

(b) The panel convened under (a) of this subsection must evaluate and assess vessel traffic management and vessel traffic safety within the Columbia river and Grays Harbor.

(2) The panel shall convene no more than four times to assess and evaluate: (a) The need for tug escorts for oil tankers of greater than forty thousand deadweight tons, all articulated tug barges, and other towed waterborne vessels or barges; (b) best achievable protection; and (c) required tug capabilities to ensure safe escort of vessels on the Columbia river and Grays Harbor.

(3) By December 15, 2015, the department of ecology must provide to the appropriate committees of the legislature recommendations for vessel traffic management and vessel traffic safety on the Columbia river and Grays Harbor.

(4) All requirements in this section are subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for the specific purposes described.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 18.  A new section is added to chapter 81.44 RCW to read as follows:

Commission employees certified by the federal railroad administration to perform hazardous materials inspections may enter the property of any business that receives, ships, or offers for shipment hazardous materials by rail. Entry shall be at a reasonable time and in a reasonable manner. The purpose of entry is limited to performing inspections, investigations, or surveillance of equipment, records, and operations relating to the packaging, loading, unloading, or transportation of hazardous materials by rail, pursuant only to the state participation program outlined in 49 C.F.R. Part 212. The term "business" is all inclusive and is not limited to common carriers or public service companies.

Sec. 19.  RCW 81.24.010 and 2007 c 234 s 21 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Every company subject to regulation by the commission, except those listed in subsection (3) of this section, shall, on or before the date specified by the commission for filing annual reports under RCW 81.04.080, file with the commission a statement on oath showing its gross operating revenue from intrastate operations for the preceding calendar year, or portion thereof, and pay to the commission a fee equal to one-tenth of one percent of the first fifty thousand dollars of gross operating revenue, plus two-tenths of one percent of any gross operating revenue in excess of fifty thousand dollars, except railroad companies which shall each pay to the commission a fee equal to ((one)) two and one-half percent of its intrastate gross operating revenue. The commission may, by rule, set minimum fees that do not exceed the cost of collecting the fees. The commission may by rule waive any or all of the minimum fee established pursuant to this section. Any railroad association that qualifies as a nonprofit charitable organization under the federal internal revenue code section 501(c)(3) is exempt from the fee required under this subsection.

(2) The percentage rates of gross operating revenue to be paid in any one year may be decreased by the commission for any class of companies subject to the payment of such fees, by general order entered before March 1st of such year, and for such purpose railroad companies are classified as class two. Every other company subject to regulation by the commission, for which regulatory fees are not otherwise fixed by law, shall pay fees as herein provided and shall constitute additional classes according to kinds of businesses engaged in.

(3) This section does not apply to private nonprofit transportation providers, auto transportation companies, charter party carriers and excursion service carriers, solid waste collection companies, motor freight carriers, household goods carriers, commercial ferries, and low-level radioactive waste storage facilities.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 20.  A new section is added to chapter 81.24 RCW to read as follows:

The authority of the commission to charge a railroad company a fee equal to two and one-half percent of its intrastate gross operating revenue under the authority of this chapter expires July 1, 2023.

(2) Beginning July 1, 2023, the commission is authorized to charge a railroad company a fee equal to one and one-half percent of its intrastate gross operating revenue.

Sec. 21.  RCW 42.56.270 and 2014 c 192 s 6, 2014 c 174 s 5, and 2014 c 144 s 6 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

The following financial, commercial, and proprietary information is exempt from disclosure under this chapter:

(1) Valuable formulae, designs, drawings, computer source code or object code, and research data obtained by any agency within five years of the request for disclosure when disclosure would produce private gain and public loss;

(2) Financial information supplied by or on behalf of a person, firm, or corporation for the purpose of qualifying to submit a bid or proposal for (a) a ferry system construction or repair contract as required by RCW 47.60.680 through 47.60.750 or (b) highway construction or improvement as required by RCW 47.28.070;

(3) Financial and commercial information and records supplied by private persons pertaining to export services provided under chapters 43.163 and 53.31 RCW, and by persons pertaining to export projects under RCW 43.23.035;

(4) Financial and commercial information and records supplied by businesses or individuals during application for loans or program services provided by chapters 43.325, 43.163, 43.160, 43.330, and 43.168 RCW, or during application for economic development loans or program services provided by any local agency;

(5) Financial information, business plans, examination reports, and any information produced or obtained in evaluating or examining a business and industrial development corporation organized or seeking certification under chapter 31.24 RCW;

(6) Financial and commercial information supplied to the state investment board by any person when the information relates to the investment of public trust or retirement funds and when disclosure would result in loss to such funds or in private loss to the providers of this information;

(7) Financial and valuable trade information under RCW 51.36.120;

(8) Financial, commercial, operations, and technical and research information and data submitted to or obtained by the clean Washington center in applications for, or delivery of, program services under chapter 70.95H RCW;

(9) Financial and commercial information requested by the public stadium authority from any person or organization that leases or uses the stadium and exhibition center as defined in RCW 36.102.010;

(10)(a) Financial information, including but not limited to account numbers and values, and other identification numbers supplied by or on behalf of a person, firm, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, or other entity related to an application for a horse racing license submitted pursuant to RCW 67.16.260(1)(b), marijuana producer, processor, or retailer license, liquor license, gambling license, or lottery retail license;

(b) Internal control documents, independent auditors' reports and financial statements, and supporting documents: (i) Of house-banked social card game licensees required by the gambling commission pursuant to rules adopted under chapter 9.46 RCW; or (ii) submitted by tribes with an approved tribal/state compact for class III gaming;

(11) Proprietary data, trade secrets, or other information that relates to: (a) A vendor's unique methods of conducting business; (b) data unique to the product or services of the vendor; or (c) determining prices or rates to be charged for services, submitted by any vendor to the department of social and health services for purposes of the development, acquisition, or implementation of state purchased health care as defined in RCW 41.05.011;

(12)(a) When supplied to and in the records of the department of commerce:

(i) Financial and proprietary information collected from any person and provided to the department of commerce pursuant to RCW 43.330.050(8); and

(ii) Financial or proprietary information collected from any person and provided to the department of commerce or the office of the governor in connection with the siting, recruitment, expansion, retention, or relocation of that person's business and until a siting decision is made, identifying information of any person supplying information under this subsection and the locations being considered for siting, relocation, or expansion of a business;

(b) When developed by the department of commerce based on information as described in (a)(i) of this subsection, any work product is not exempt from disclosure;

(c) For the purposes of this subsection, "siting decision" means the decision to acquire or not to acquire a site;

(d) If there is no written contact for a period of sixty days to the department of commerce from a person connected with siting, recruitment, expansion, retention, or relocation of that person's business, information described in (a)(ii) of this subsection will be available to the public under this chapter;

(13) Financial and proprietary information submitted to or obtained by the department of ecology or the authority created under chapter 70.95N RCW to implement chapter 70.95N RCW;

(14) Financial, commercial, operations, and technical and research information and data submitted to or obtained by the life sciences discovery fund authority in applications for, or delivery of, grants under chapter 43.350 RCW, to the extent that such information, if revealed, would reasonably be expected to result in private loss to the providers of this information;

(15) Financial and commercial information provided as evidence to the department of licensing as required by RCW 19.112.110 or 19.112.120, except information disclosed in aggregate form that does not permit the identification of information related to individual fuel licensees;

(16) Any production records, mineral assessments, and trade secrets submitted by a permit holder, mine operator, or landowner to the department of natural resources under RCW 78.44.085;

(17)(a) Farm plans developed by conservation districts, unless permission to release the farm plan is granted by the landowner or operator who requested the plan, or the farm plan is used for the application or issuance of a permit;

(b) Farm plans developed under chapter 90.48 RCW and not under the federal clean water act, 33 U.S.C. Sec. 1251 et seq., are subject to RCW 42.56.610 and 90.64.190;

(18) Financial, commercial, operations, and technical and research information and data submitted to or obtained by a health sciences and services authority in applications for, or delivery of, grants under RCW 35.104.010 through 35.104.060, to the extent that such information, if revealed, would reasonably be expected to result in private loss to providers of this information;

(19) Information gathered under chapter 19.85 RCW or RCW 34.05.328 that can be identified to a particular business;

(20) Financial and commercial information submitted to or obtained by the University of Washington, other than information the university is required to disclose under RCW 28B.20.150, when the information relates to investments in private funds, to the extent that such information, if revealed, would reasonably be expected to result in loss to the University of Washington consolidated endowment fund or to result in private loss to the providers of this information; ((and))

(21) Market share data submitted by a manufacturer under RCW 70.95N.190(4); ((and))

(22) Financial information supplied to the department of financial institutions or to a portal under RCW 21.20.883, when filed by or on behalf of an issuer of securities for the purpose of obtaining the exemption from state securities registration for small securities offerings provided under RCW 21.20.880 or when filed by or on behalf of an investor for the purpose of purchasing such securities; and

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 23.  A new section is added to chapter 81.40 RCW to read as follows:

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(1) "Commission" means the utilities and transportation commission created in chapter 80.01 RCW.

(2) "Hazardous material" means a substance or material the federal secretary of transportation has determined to be capable of posing a significant risk to health, safety, and property when transported in commerce.

(3) "Hazardous material train" means any:

(a) High-hazard flammable train as defined by the United States department of transportation as of the effective date of this section; or

(b) Train containing any of following:

(i) One or more tank car loads of poison inhalation hazard or toxic inhalation hazard, hazard zone "A," "B," "C," or "D"; anhydrous ammonia, UN1005;

(ii) Twenty car loads or intermodal portable tank loads of any combination of hazardous material; or

(iii) One or more car loads of spent nuclear fuel or high level nuclear waste.

(4) "Qualified crew member" means a railroad operating craft employee who has been trained and meets the requirements and qualifications as determined by the federal railroad administration for a railroad operating service employee.

(5) "Railroad carrier" means a carrier of persons or property upon vehicles, other than streetcars, operated upon stationary rails, the route of which is principally outside incorporated cities and towns. "Railroad carrier" includes the officers and agents of the railroad carrier.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 24.  A new section is added to chapter 81.40 RCW to read as follows:

Except as provided in section 25 of this act, the following minimum crew requirements apply:

(1) Any person, corporation, company, or officer of the court operating any railroad, railway, or any part of any railroad or railway, in the state of Washington, and engaged, as a common carrier, in the transportation of freight or passengers, shall operate all trains and switching assignments over its road with crews consisting of no less than two qualified crew members.

(2)(a) Railroad carriers shall operate all hazardous material trains over its road with crews consisting of no less than three qualified crew members. One qualified train crew member shall be assigned to a position located on the rear of the train and within rolling equipment, situated to safely observe and monitor the train's contents and movement.

(b) Railroad carriers shall operate any hazardous material trains consisting of fifty-one or more car loads of any combination of hazardous materials over its road with crews consisting of no less than four qualified crew members. Two qualified crew members shall be assigned to a position on the rear of the train and within rolling equipment, situated to safely observe and monitor the train's contents and movement.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 25.  A new section is added to chapter 81.40 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Trains transporting hazardous material shipments a distance of five miles or less may operate the train with the required crew members positioned on the lead locomotive.

(2)(a) Class II and class III carriers transporting fewer than twenty loaded hazardous material cars on trains operating on their road while at a speed of twenty-five miles per hour or less are exempt from the additional train crew requirements specified in section 24(2) of this act.

(b) The commission may grant exemptions to the minimum crew size requirements to class III railroad carriers that are not transporting hazardous materials on their road.

(3)(a) The commission may order class I or II railroad carriers to exceed the minimum crew size and operate specific trains, routes, or switching assignments on their road with additional numbers of qualified crew members if it is determined that such an increase in crew size is necessary to protect the safety, health, and welfare of the public and railroad employees, to prevent harm to the environment, and to address local safety and security hazards.

(b) In issuing such an order the commission may consider relevant factors including but not limited to the volatility of the commodities being transported, vulnerabilities, risk exposure to localities along the train route, security risks including sabotage or terrorism threat levels, a railroad carriers prior history of accidents, compliance violations, and track and equipment maintenance issues.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 26.  A new section is added to chapter 81.40 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Each train or engine run in violation of section 24 of this act constitutes a separate offense. However, section 24 of this act does not apply in the case of disability of one or more members of any train crew while out on the road between division terminals, or assigned to wrecking trains. 

(2) Any person, corporation, company, or officer of the court operating any railroad, or part of any railroad or railway within the state of Washington, and engaged as a common carrier, in the transportation of freight or passengers, who violates any of the provisions of section 24 of this act shall be fined not less than one thousand dollars and not more than one hundred thousand dollars for each offense.

(3) It is the duty of the commission to enforce this section.

(1) RCW 81.40.010 (Full train crews—Passenger—Safety review—Penalty—Enforcement) and 2003 c 53 s 386, 1992 c 102 s 1, & 1961 c 14 s 81.40.010; and

(2) RCW 81.40.035 (Freight train crews) and 1967 c 2 s 2.

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