HOUSE BILL REPORT

E2SSB 5501

As Amended by the House

BYSenate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Vognild, Metcalf, Nelson, Rasmussen and Talmadge)

Creating the aquatic land dredged material disposal site account.

House Committe on Ways & Means/Appropriations

Majority Report:  Do pass with amendments.  (15)

      Signed by Representatives Locke, Chair; Allen, Belcher, Brekke, Fuhrman, Grant, Grimm, McLean, Nealey, Sayan, Silver, L. Smith, H. Sommers, Sprenkle and B. Williams.

House Staff:Nancy Stevenson (786-7137)

AS PASSED HOUSE APRIL 13, 1987

BACKGROUND:

The Department of Ecology, the Commissioner of Public Lands, and the Administrator of Region 10 of the federal Environmental Protection Agency petitioned the Corps of Engineers in Seattle to conduct a study of open water dredged disposal sites in Puget Sound in 1984.  There is a need to find new dredge disposal sites because of the closure of existing sites due to environmental concerns.

The Corps of Engineers agreed to undertake a two-phase study.  Phase one of the study is the selection of sites in Commencement Bay, Elliott Bay, and Port Gardner.  The remaining sites will be investigated in a second phase to be completed in 1988.  The study involves selection of sites, evaluation of procedures on what could go into the sites, and methods for management and monitoring.  Phase one of the study is in final draft and will be made public in the form of an environmental impact statement in the spring of 1987.

Funds are needed for monitoring the three sites selected in phase one.  Cost of this monitoring for the Commencement Bay, Elliott Bay, and Port Gardner sites is $193,000.  This money will be supplemented by dredge disposal fees assessed on dredge material, and will eventually cover all of the department's monitoring and administrative costs.

SUMMARY:

The legislature finds that the Department of Natural Resources manages and monitors aquatic land disposal sites on state-owned aquatic lands for materials dredged from rivers, harbors, and shipping lanes.  These disposal sites are approved through a cooperative planning process by the departments of Natural Resources and Ecology, the United States Corps of Engineers, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Puget Sound Water Quality Authority.  The sites are essential to commerce and environmental monitoring of the sites is necessary to protect the environment and to assure appropriate use of state-owned aquatic lands. 

An aquatic land dredge material disposal site account is created in the office of the State Treasurer.  The account will consist of funds appropriated to the account by the legislature, funds transferred or paid to the account pursuant to settlements, court or agency orders and judgements, gifts to the account, and all funds received by the Department of Natural Resources from user fees.

The fund may be used for the management and environmental monitoring of aquatic land dredged material disposal sites.  The account is subject to allotment procedure as provided in Chapter 43.88 and the fund is subject to legislative appropriation.

The department shall examine the costs of site management and environmental monitoring and may establish fees for the use of such sites in amounts no greater than necessary to cover estimated costs.  All such revenues will be placed in the aquatic land dredged material disposal site account.

Revenue:    The bill has a revenue impact.

Fiscal Note:      Attached.

Effective Date:July 1, 1987.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Craig Partridge, Department of Natural Resources.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in cooperation with the Army Corps of Engineers, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Ecology is studying new dredge disposal sites.  As a part of the shorelines permit environmental monitoring will be necessary at the new sites.  DNR will fund the monitoring through user fees set by rule and authorized by the bill.  The general fund appropriation is necessary to get the program started.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.