Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research | BILL ANALYSIS |
Labor & Workplace Standards Committee |
SSB 5627
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent. |
Brief Description: Creating the healthy energy work group to develop the healthy energy workers board.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce (originally sponsored by Senators Brown and Keiser).
Brief Summary of Substitute Bill |
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Hearing Date: 3/18/19
Staff: Lily Smith (786-7175).
Background:
The Hanford site in Benton County contains a number of United States Department of Energy (DOE) facilities used to produce plutonium for atomic weapons between 1943 and 1987. Tank farms are one type of facility at the Hanford site. The tank farms are a series of underground tanks containing radioactive chemical waste products that were used in process of retrieving plutonium. The tanks are vented to prevent the buildup of potentially flammable gases.
Summary of Bill:
Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated, the Healthy Energy Work Group (work group) is created. The purpose of the work group is to develop the Healthy Energy Workers Board (board) to address chemical exposure to tank farm vapors at the Hanford site.
The Governor must appoint the following members to the work group:
the Director of the Department of Labor and Industries or designee;
the Secretary of the Department of Health or designee;
a representative of Harborview Medical Center;
a representative of the University of Washington (UW) Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences;
a representative of the DOE Richland Operations Office;
a training director for construction safety and health at the Volpentest Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response Federal Training Facility in Richland;
a representative of the Central Washington Building Construction Trades Council;
a representative of the Hanford Atomic Metal Trades Council;
a representative of the Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council; and
a representative of UA Local 598 Plumbers and Steamfitters.
The UW Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences must provide administrative support to the work group. The first meeting must be in person and subsequent meetings may be over audio and/or video conferencing. In addition to the initial meeting, the work group must meet no less than four times and no more than six times in 2019.
The work group must provide a report to the Legislature by December 1, 2019, regarding the development of the board, including recommendations for its membership and any draft legislation.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.