H-2099              _______________________________________________

                                           SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL NO. 609

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By House Committee on Environmental Affairs (originally sponsored by Representatives Kremen, Spanel, Braddock, Zellinsky, May, McMullen, Allen, Hine, Schmidt, Basich, Vekich, Hargrove, Beck, Miller, Fisch, S. Wilson, Taylor, Winsley, Walker, Betrozoff, J. Williams, B. Williams, Brough, Holm, Haugen, Jesernig and Sanders)

Read first time 2/27/87 and passed to Committee on Rules.

AN ACT Relating to water pollution; amending RCW 70.146.050; creating a new section; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that the long-range health and environmental goals for the state of Washington require the protection of the state's surface and underground waters for the health, safety, use, enjoyment, and economic benefit of its people.  Through the enactment of chapter 70.146 RCW the legislature has attempted to provide financial assistance to the state and to local governments for the planning, design, acquisition, construction, and improvement of water pollution control facilities and related activities.

          The demand for moneys to plan, design, acquire, construct, and improve water pollution control facilities and to carry on related activities in any given year far exceeds the amount of moneys available for such projects.

          It is the intent of the legislature that distribution of moneys for water pollution control facilities be made on an equitable basis taking into consideration legal mandates, local effort, ratepayer impacts, and past distributions of state and federal moneys for water pollution control facilities.

          It is the purpose of this act to provide assistance to local governments and agencies for the planning, design, acquisition, construction, and improvement of water pollution control facilities and related activities in the achievement of state and federal water pollution control requirements for the protection of the state's waters.

          It is the intent of the legislature that the department of ecology provide for phased in compliance schedules for secondary treatment which addresses local factors.

          It is the intent of this act that the department of ecology, in setting compliance schedules, consider the amount of grant or loan funds available for water pollution control facilities and activities, the demand for such fund by local governments and agencies, and the economic and environmental circumstances of the affected local government or agency.

        Sec. 2.  Section 8, chapter 3, Laws of 1986 and RCW 70.146.050 are each amended to read as follows:

          The department of ecology ((may)) shall provide for a phased in compliance schedule for secondary treatment which addresses local factors that may impede compliance with secondary treatment requirements of the federal clean water act.  Compliance schedules may be extended up to December 31, 1995.

          In determining the length of time to be granted for compliance, the department shall consider the ((criteria specified in the federal clean water act)) following:

(1) The quality of receiving waters and any potential impact on public health;

(2) The amount of grant or loan moneys available to assist the public body in the planning, design, acquisition, construction, and improvement of water pollution control facilities and related activities;

(3) The cost to ratepayers if they had to finance water pollution control facilities and activities without state assistance; and

(4) The economic condition of the county or city, or if it is another public body under consideration, the economic condition of the city or county in which the public body is located.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, the support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.