HOUSE BILL REPORT

SSB 6010

As Amended by the House

BYSenate Committee on Agriculture (originally sponsored by Senators Kreidler and Hansen)

Providing for the disposal of hazardous waste pesticides.

House Committe on Agriculture & Rural Development

Majority Report:  Do pass.  (13)

      Signed by Representatives Rayburn, Chair; Baugher, Bristow, Brooks, Chandler, Doty, Grant, Holm, Jacobsen, McLean, Moyer, Nealey and Rasmussen.

House Staff:Kenneth Hirst (786-7105)

Rereferred House Committee on Ways & Means/Appropriations

Majority Report:  Do pass with amendments.  (22)

      Signed by Locke, Chair; Allen, Belcher, Brekke, Bristow, Ebersole, Fuhrman, Grant, Grimm, Hine, Holland, McLean, McMullen, Nealey, Niemi, Peery, Sayan, Silver, L. Smith, H. Sommers, Sprenkle and B. Williams.

House Staff:      Nancy Stevenson (786-7137)

AS PASSED HOUSE APRIL 13, 1987

BACKGROUND:

The Washington Pesticide Application Act is administered by the Department of Agriculture.  With certain exceptions, the act requires each person who commercially applies pesticides to the lands of others to be licensed as a pesticide applicator.

SUMMARY:

The director of Agriculture may adopt rules permitting the Department of Agriculture to take possession and dispose of canceled, suspended, or otherwise unusable pesticides held by persons regulated under the state's Pesticide Application Act. For this purpose, the department may become licensed as a hazardous waste generator.

The director shall develop an administrative structure to implement a pesticide waste disposal program.  Among the issues to be addressed are:  collection site acquisition, transportation, and container disposal.  The director shall report to the legislature by February 1, 1988, regarding program structure, legislation needed to make the program operational, timetables, and funding alternatives.

Fiscal Note:      Attached.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    (Agriculture & Rural Development)  Errett Deck, Western Agricultural Chemical Association; Mike Schwisow, Department of Agriculture; Ray Shindler, Washington Association of Wheat Growers; Jerry Smedes, Rabanco; Stu Trefry, Washington State Grange.

(Ways & Means/Appropriations)  Errett Deck, Western Agricultural Chemical Association.

House Committee - Testified Against:      (Agriculture & Rural Development)  None Presented.

(Ways & Means/Appropriations)  None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    (Agriculture & Rural Development)  (1) Surveys have identified that a serious problem exists regarding the disposal of pesticide wastes, but no solution to the problem has been offered.  This bill will set the groundwork for a program that will solve the problem.  (2) Disposal sites will not accept a shipment of waste from multiple generators of waste.  Allowing the Department of Agriculture to become the generator of record solves this problem by permitting the wastes to be collected but assigned to one entity.  (3) Unidentified wastes cannot be disposed of.  The program established could provide a means of identifying otherwise unidentified wastes.

(Ways & Means/Appropriations)  The bill provides groundwork for a program where farmers could properly dispose of unsuitable pesticides and those which are unidentified.  The Department of Ecology is not set up to do this while the Department of Agriculture could be.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      (Agriculture & Rural Development)  None Presented.

(Ways & Means/Appropriations)  None Presented.