SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 5501

BYSenators Vognild, Metcalf, Nelson, Rasmussen and Talmadge

Creating the aquatic land dredged material disposal site account.

Senate Committee on Natural Resources

Senate Hearing Date(s):February 24, 1987; March 3, 1987

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5501 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

      Signed by Senators Owen, Chairman; DeJarnatt, Vice Chairman; Barr, Craswell, McDonald, Patterson, Stratton.

Senate Staff:Vic Moon (786-7469)

                  March 3, 1987

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Senate Hearing Date(s):March 6, 1987

Majority Report:  That Second Substitute Senate Bill No. 5501 be substituted therefor, and the second substitute bill do pass.

      Signed by Senators McDermott, Chairman; Gaspard, Vice Chairman; Bauer, Bluechel, Cantu, Fleming, Kreidler, McDonald, Moore, Owen, Rasmussen, Rinehart, Saling, Talmadge, Vognild, Warnke, Williams, Wojahn, Zimmerman.

Senate Staff:Charles Langen (786-7715)

                  March 6, 1987

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS, MARCH 6, 1987

BACKGROUND:

The Department of Ecology, Commissioner of Public Lands, and the Administrator of Region 10 of the federal Environmental Protection Agency petitioned the Corps of Engineers in Seattle to do an in-depth study to determine and select open water dredged disposal sites in Puget Sound in 1984.  There is a need to investigate 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 I 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, the evaluation of procedures concerning what could go into the sites, and the management and monitoring of sites.  Phase I of the study is going into a 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 of the three sites selected in Phase I.  Cost of this monitoring for the Commencement Bay, Elliott Bay, and Port Gardner sites is $193,000.  This money will be supplemented by the dredge disposal fees assessed on dredge material, which will eventually cover all of the Department's monitoring and administrative costs for the program.

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, along with the United States Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency in cooperation with 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 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 administrative agencies' orders or 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.  Disbursements from the account shall be on authorization of the Commissioner of Public Lands or the Commissioner's designee.  The account is subject to allotment procedure as provided in Chapter 43.88; no appropriation will be required for the disbursements.

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.

$575,000 is appropriated from the general fund for the 1987-89 biennium.

Appropriation:    $575,000 from the general fund

Revenue:    Fees established by the Department of Natural Resource for the use of dredged soil sites.

Fiscal Note:      requested

Effective Date:July 1, 1987

EFFECT OF PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE:

The funds in the dredge disposal site account are subject to legislative appropriation, and the appropriation for the 1987-89 biennium is reduced to $193,000.

EFFECT OF PROPOSED SECOND SUBSTITUTE:

The 193,000 is to be repaid to the general fund prior to June 30, 1991.

Senate Committee - Testified: NATURAL RESOURCES:  Craig Partridge, Department of Natural Resources; Don Moos, Washington Public Ports Association; Jim Abernathy, Puget Sound Water Quality Authority

Senate Committee - Testified: WAYS & MEANS:  No one