HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1569

BYRepresentatives Todd, Crane, Winsley, Rasmussen, Lux, Valle, Unsoeld, Barnes, Leonard, Patrick and Spanel

Regulating the siting of new solid waste incinerators and energy recovery facilities.

House Committe on Environmental Affairs

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (10)

      Signed by Representatives Rust, Chair; Valle, Vice Chair; Brekke, Ferguson, Lux, Pruitt, Schoon, Sprenkle, Unsoeld and Walker.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  (1)

      Signed by Representative D. Sommers.

House Staff:Susan Gulick (786-7116)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS

FEBRUARY 4, 1988

BACKGROUND:

Statewide, approximately 3.1 million tons of commercial and residential garbage is generated annually.  The legislature has adopted priorities for how to manage this solid waste, with waste reduction as the top priority, followed by recycling, incineration and, lastly, landfilling.  Most jurisdictions continue to rely on landfills as the primary disposal option, and 82 percent (or 2.5 million tons) of garbage is landfilled in the state each year.

As an alternative to landfills, many local jurisdictions are considering incineration.  Incinerators emit air emissions and also create ash which needs to be disposed in landfills.  Because there is disagreement over the extent of the environmental impacts of incinerators, there is increasing public concern about siting incinerators.

SUMMARY:

SUBSTITUTE BILL: The Department of Ecology must adopt siting standards for siting municipal solid waste incinerators. The siting standards must be developed with the assistance of a committee representing industrial, local government and environmental interests.  The standards must be submitted to the legislature by December 15, 1988, and will go into effect June 1, 1989, unless disapproved by the legislature.

Certain requirements are stipulated for local governments proposing to construct an incinerator.  Local governments must 1) have a plan for waste reduction and recycling, 2) have an approved solid waste management plan, 3) review available alternative technologies, 4) develop a least-cost plan for solid waste that has the lowest environmental impact, 5) have an approved plan for handling ash residues, and 6) have a plan for public access to data and the incinerator operations. Incinerators sited prior to June 1, 1989, are exempt from these provisions.

When siting an incinerator, a plan must be prepared and implemented to mitigate the social impacts on local residents. The plan must address impacts on traffic and property values.

SUBSTITUTE BILL COMPARED TO ORIGINAL:  The substitute bill 1) deletes a prohibition on siting mass burn incinerators within three miles of a residential area; 2) exempts certain incinerators; 3) deletes certain requirements for local governments; and 4) requires plans to mitigate social impacts on residents.

Fiscal Note:      Requested January 28, 1988.

Effective Date:The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Representative Mike Todd; Julie West, County Citizens Against Incineration; Steve Libbey, South End Seattle Community Organization; Betty Tabbutt, Washington Environmental Council; Mike Reynolds, Auburn School District; Darwin Sciba, Soos Creek Action Response; Mike Ferro, Sierra Club.

House Committee - Testified Against:      Ron Main, King County Council and King County Executive.

House Committee - Testimony For:    Recycling can virtually eliminate the need for solid waste incinerators and this bill provides a thorough outline for good solid waste management decision-making.  Local decisions to site incinerators need to be carefully considered and recycling strategies and ash disposal plans must be in place prior to the decision.  Incinerators should be sited in industrial areas and not residential areas.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      This bill precludes incineration as a management option for local governments.  There is a need for new solid waste disposal sites, and making a choice between landfills and incinerators is not easy.  Ecology already has necessary authority to ensure proper decisions are made by local governments.